“The asparagus season has just passed its lowest point”
The 2026 asparagus season got off to a good start, according to Christian Befve, an international expert in the asparagus sector. Despite delays initially reported in several French regions following heavy rainfall, the start of the season ultimately proved positive. “We had an excellent start to the season, although the inability to access the fields to carry out earthing-up operations ahead of the season caused some concern and led to a delay in the start of the season.” But once these difficulties were overcome, production quickly found its pace, giving an overall sense of a successful start to the season. Unfortunately, this situation did not last, as the market is now suffering from an imbalance in favor of supply.
A widespread heatwave that caused a surge in volumes
Everything changed with the arrival of the intense heat in recent weeks. “All regions of France started producing at the same time,” explains Christian Befve. “Usually, yields hover around 150 kg/ha/day, but they have shot up to 200-300 kg/ha/day.” This simultaneous surge in production across all growing areas has led to a massive influx of asparagus onto the market, resulting in supply far outstripping demand, which has not kept pace with the same growth.
Consumption lagging behind a saturated supply
“While production has suddenly doubled, consumption has obviously not been able to keep pace.” This phenomenon was exacerbated by several factors. “School holidays may well have acted as a brake, of course, but above all, asparagus was not the only crop to arrive in huge quantities on the market following this major heatwave. Strawberry production also rose sharply. With strawberries in such abundance and on offer at attractive prices, I think this supply led consumers to make trade-offs.”
Price pressure and increased European competition
The oversupply has, unsurprisingly, led to a fall in market prices. But the situation has been exacerbated by foreign competition. Greece has exported heavily to Germany, which has in turn redirected part of its volumes to France. “Germany, with production in full swing, is sending significant quantities onto the French market at prices as low as 2.20 euros [2.51 USD] per kilo, completely disregarding any notion of profitability,” explains the expert. This phenomenon has increased the pressure on French operators, particularly in the wholesale sector, which is considered to be hit the hardest. “Producers who sell directly to consumers, at markets or to the catering sector, are less affected by this drastic fall in prices. Those supplying supermarkets, even with promotional campaigns planned well in advance, are also less affected. Those suffering most from the situation are the operators who supply their produce to wholesalers. It is in this sector that foreign competition is strongest and prices have fallen the lowest.”
Impact on quality and labor shortages
This overproduction has also had an impact on quality. With harvests that were too large, farms have at times been overwhelmed. “Some growers have even halted production in their asparagus fields due to a lack of labor. Because, faced with this overproduction, more than 1 person per hectare would have been needed to ensure optimal quality. However, labor is not that easy to come by.” The result is a drop in the proportion of top-grade produce and a rise in second-grade produce, exacerbated by the fact that ridging could not always be carried out properly due to the wet spring conditions.
Is the market gradually recovering?
At the start of this week, however, the market seems to be rebalancing itself. “It is clear that in recent weeks, some asparagus has been sold below cost price, but the situation seems to be improving very slightly since the start of the week. Volumes are starting to fall due to some asparagus farms halting production and cooler temperatures. Prices are not really changing at the moment, but at least stocks seem to be gradually clearing up, which is a rather good sign.”
For more information:
Christian Befve
Christian Befve & Co
christian@befve.com
www.befve.com
