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The 5 Surprising Benefits of Green Asparagus by Cuisine AZ
Asparagus: these producers from the Landes share their advice for choosing them, by Marmiton
The Sierra de Yeguas Asparagus Fair returns with new features on April 26 and 27 Las 4 Esquinas The talk will be given by Christian Befve, consultant and one of the world’s leading specialists in the cultivation of white and green asparagus
The 23rd Sierra de Yeguas Asparagus Fair grows with the celebration of professional workshops featuring a talk by Christian Befve, an international expert from Diario Sur
Switzerland: White asparagus cultivation has quadrupled in twenty years
In recent years, Swiss vegetable growers have significantly expanded asparagus cultivation, boosting the supply of locally produced crops. Over the past twenty years, the surface area dedicated to white asparagus has quadrupled, while green asparagus has tripled. Today, around 180 farms grow asparagus in Switzerland, mainly in Eastern Switzerland, followed by the Plateau and the French-speaking part of the country.
Despite this growth, domestic production still does not meet demand. In 2024, Switzerland imported nearly 3,600 tonnes of white asparagus and around 5,700 tonnes of green asparagus. Total consumption – both white and green – amounts to nearly 1 kilogram per person.
Significant growth potential remains untapped
Asparagus cultivation is demanding: it requires substantial investment, a long waiting period before the first harvest, and a short production window of just two good months per year. “Asparagus remains on the same plot for about ten years, but it can only be harvested starting in the third year,” explains Markus Waber, Deputy Director of the Swiss Vegetable Growers’ Association (UMS). This long-term type of cultivation therefore requires patience, discipline, and expertise.
The work is intensive: from building the characteristic ridges to laying plastic films and harvesting daily, every step requires commitment. Even after harvesting, plants must be properly maintained to stay healthy. “Before starting out, a farm must ask itself several questions: Am I truly interested in this crop? Do I have the right outlets? The infrastructure, land, and staff required?” adds Waber. “Swiss asparagus is highly appreciated by consumers. Unlike imports, it is available in limited quantities. There is real potential here: local production has its place on the market and is in high demand.”
Source : lid
Asparagus – Week 15 Summary (Germany): Persistent drought worries many asparagus growers by FreshPlaza
Local asparagus supply is now increasing week by week. However, price disparities between regions remain significant. In some cities, consumers have to pay high prices: in Munich, white asparagus reaches €31.80 per kilo. In Berlin and Cologne, prices are almost half that: “We charge €17.90 per kilo,” says Christian Fuchs, 46, a grower in Cologne-Rheindorf. On Berlin’s weekly markets, prices start at €18 per kilo.
Lower Saxony: reduced acreage and harvest volumes
The first asparagus has already been harvested in some fields. While demand was moderate in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, interest surged again in 2023. This year, rising minimum wages and energy costs continue to strain farms, leading many to reduce their growing areas.
According to the regional statistics office, Lower Saxony remains Germany’s leading asparagus-producing state in 2024. However, cultivated area and yields are clearly declining. Figures for 2025 are not yet available. Last year, 21,700 tonnes were harvested from 3,900 ha (compared to 22,800 t from 4,400 ha in 2023), marking a 4.8% decrease in volume and 11.6% in area. On the other hand, average yield per hectare improved to 56.2 dt/ha (+7.9% from 2023).
Lower Saxony accounted for about 20.3% of Germany’s total asparagus-growing area in 2024 (around 20,000 ha nationwide), with 223 active farms, including 23 organic ones.
“The big boom during the Covid years is unfortunately behind us. Still, we’ve managed to maintain stable prices, similar to last year,” says Heiko Stolle, a producer in Klein-Bümmerstede (Oldenburg). He notes that persistent drought is a major worry: “We’ve already started irrigating the fields,” he adds.
Schleswig-Holstein: producers remain optimistic
In Schleswig-Holstein, the season was officially launched by Ute Volquardsen, president of the Chamber of Agriculture, along with representatives from the Asparagus Working Group and growers from across the region. Farmer Schümann, based in Hasenmoor, remains optimistic: “Asparagus doesn’t need rain for now—what it needs is warmth,” he explains. His beds are covered with plastic film and ventilated to speed up harvest. Around 450 ha of asparagus are grown by 40 farms in the region.
Hesse: a difficult start due to harsh conditions
On April 3, Hesse’s Minister-President Boris Rhein officially kicked off the season at Steinbrücker Hof in Weiterstadt. His message: “Hessian asparagus is climate protection in action and deserves support!” He also emphasized the sector’s challenges, especially the potential impact of raising the minimum wage to €15, which would affect foreign seasonal workers as well.
This increase, he warned, would seriously undermine the competitiveness of local farms, already grappling with low self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetables. It may force some growers to abandon costly crops like asparagus. The Hessian Farmers’ Association (HBV) is calling for specific wage regulations to help safeguard the region’s agricultural base.
North Rhine-Westphalia: historically low harvest
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the 2024 harvest was the lowest in years. Just 18.5 tonnes were harvested—an 11.1% drop from 2023 and the lowest since 2016, according to the state statistics office.
Cold weather last year is blamed for hampering growth and reducing spear size. This year, harvesting has already begun at several sites. The recent sunny weather is promising. By season’s end, on June 24 (St. John’s Day), around 18,000 tonnes are expected. About 70% of production is sold through short supply chains: directly at farms, markets, or roadside stands.
Thuringia: season starts at the largest farm
Harvesting is starting this week in Thuringia’s main growing region, the Unstrut-Hainich district. In Kutzleben, the state’s largest farm is cultivating 110 ha of asparagus—20 less than last year. The Herbsleben agricultural cooperative maintains its 80 ha, unchanged from 2023.
“The start is going as expected. Mid-April is a usual starting point,” says Jan Niclas Imholze from Kutzleben.
Saxony-Anhalt: slow growth due to cold
In Saxony-Anhalt, the season is starting slowly due to cold nights. “There will be asparagus for Easter,” assures Patrick Wolter, farm manager at the Hohenseeden agricultural cooperative. However, depending on the weather, meeting full demand may be challenging.
In 2023, the region harvested about 1,820 tonnes from 360.7 ha, according to the regional stats office in Halle. This marked a rise from 1,400 t in 2022 and 1,500 t in 2021.
Rhineland-Palatinate: sufficient supply for Easter
Thanks to good sunshine, Rhineland-Palatinate confirms there will be enough asparagus for Easter. “Harvest has started in all growing areas,” says Andreas Köhr from the regional farmers’ and winegrowers’ association.
Brandenburg: early but slow start to the season
According to a spokesperson from Syringshof farm interviewed by BERLIN LIVE, the season began earlier than usual but is progressing slowly—a good sign for quality harvests.
Prices should remain stable compared to 2023, ranging from €9/kg for broken or soup-grade asparagus to €16/kg for top-quality spears.
Austria: slightly lower harvest expected
After a historically early start in 2023, Austrian consumers will have to wait a bit longer this year due to cooler temperatures. According to Josef Moosbrugger, president of the Chamber of Agriculture, the first local asparagus should hit supermarket shelves by mid-April.
Production is centered in the Marchfeld region (Lower Austria). In 2023, 762 ha were planted: 498 for white asparagus and 264 for green/purple. Total output reached 2,723 tonnes. A slight decline is expected this year.
Austria’s annual consumption is estimated at 5,000 tonnes. In 2023, around 3,000 tonnes were imported, mainly from Spain (35%), Italy (31%), Hungary (14%), Germany (8%) and Peru (5%).
Switzerland: cold snap threatens harvest
In Switzerland, night frost is threatening asparagus crops. Farmers are applying protective measures. Cold weather is slowing growth, although the first white Swiss asparagus is already available. Green asparagus, however, is still awaited.
The “Sauvons les Fruits et Légumes de France” Collective criticizes Lidl “Today, the retailer is once again waging a price war” – especially on asparagus and strawberries by FreshPlaza
“The days when Lidl stood out for respecting French producers are long gone,” states the Sauvons les Fruits et Légumes de France collective, which accuses the German discount retailer of “reviving the price war.” This shift is directly linked, according to the group, to the departure of Michel Biero.
“Today, Lidl is once again waging a price war”
“Today, the retailer is reigniting the price war, with the major risk that its competitors will follow suit—completely disregarding the strong commitments made at the Agriculture Fair regarding French origin and fair producer compensation.” The group highlights examples like apples, cucumbers, and strawberries.
“In the apple category, not a single kilo should leave the packing stations at under €1. Yet RNM price listings show that entry-level items (like 2 kg bags) have been dropping since the beginning of the season and are now 10% below last year’s prices. For strawberries, during Easter week—despite insufficient supply—Lidl is demanding price cuts of over €0.20 per kilo compared to its competitors. For cucumbers, the same low-cost strategy is in place, and even comes with the threat of imports. Producers are seriously concerned about Spanish cucumbers appearing on the shelves very soon,” says the collective, which calls on consumers to stay alert:
“Low prices don’t support farmers. Imports are killing them.”
“As soon as Michel Biero left, Lidl abandoned its commitments to French origin”
“The departure of Michel Biero from Lidl raised concerns among upstream fruit and vegetable players about worsening purchasing practices harming producers,” the collective notes. For years, Lidl, through its (former) leader Michel Biero, had worked with French producers through sector agreements, tripartite contracts in certain categories, and a focus on French origin in the fresh produce section, including defined roadmaps. These concerns, the collective says, are now proving justified:
“Our producers are paying the price for Lidl’s renewed desire to wage a price war.”
Lidl targeted by protesting farmers in the Gard region
Yesterday on its X (Twitter) account, the collective shared the action carried out by farmers in Gard against a Lidl store. “Barely three months after his departure, @lidlfrance has already forgotten the wise commitments of its former president in favor of French food sovereignty.”
At the call of the Gard branch of the FDSEA, local farmers gathered on Tuesday morning in front of the Lidl store in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, dumping dozens of kilos of asparagus. Their goal: to denounce the sale of low-cost Mexican asparagus and Spanish strawberries.
Jorge Sofín, de Espárragos de Novillas (Espagne) : « La pluie a retardé les récoltes d’asperge blanche » par FreshPlaza
Rain has been a key factor this year in the start of the white asparagus season along the banks of the Ebro River, which began a bit later than in previous years. “In our case, we started the season with the first harvests about twenty days ago, but we’re a lucky company — 95% of the area under the PGI ‘Asparagus of Navarre’ is only just beginning to be harvested today due to the rainfall.”
“We were fortunate enough to be able to ridge the beds and prepare the asparagus before the rain prevented us from working the soil, and these 20 days of early harvesting have been very beneficial for the marketing of our asparagus.”
“This year, production should be similar to last year, with fairly good calibres that will continue to improve as the season progresses. This is very positive, since size is one of the most important and valued factors for both customers and chefs when it comes to fresh asparagus.”
“In terms of demand, we’re seeing another relatively good year. Easter is usually a bit tricky for fresh products because many shops are closed during the holidays, and with the current economic situation, it’s difficult to sell asparagus at the price we would like. Nevertheless, we’re quite satisfied with our current position and, once again this year, we are able to defend the price of our high-quality product against the pricing strategies of large supermarket chains.”
Espárrago de Novillas sells its production in Spain “to fruit and vegetable wholesalers and high-end restaurants, including several Michelin-starred ones. However, each year at the beginning of the season, we receive many calls from people interested in importing our asparagus, as demand in Europe is more than promising.”
It’s worth noting that Germany is the largest importer of asparagus in the EU-27, with a high level of consumption. “We are a family-run business, and so far we’ve focused on the Spanish market, but we’re growing year by year and we’re not ruling out exporting in the future.”
“We grow Grolim and Herkolim varieties, which allow us to harvest very large, high-quality asparagus throughout the season. We also market under two labels, Reyno Gourmet and Aragon Alimentos Nobles, both of which guarantee the superior quality of our products and give us strong market prospects. Moreover, although we started earlier than other growers this year, the season overall began later, which could allow us to extend our production into June.”
For more information:
Espárragos de Novillas
C/ Francisco de Goya 24, CP50530 Novillas (Zaragoza)
Tel.: +34 676 257 389
esparragodenovillas@gmail.com
https://esparragodenovillas.com/
“Do not confuse our cultivated asparagus with so-called wild asparagus!” by FreshPlaza
“Do not confuse our cultivated asparagus with so-called wild asparagus!”
Photo credit – Dreamstime – Below: cultivated green asparagus, above: Pyrenean Ornithogale
“Since these cases of poisoning appeared in the press, several growers have told me of their concerns about the two species being confused. I have also witnessed this first-hand, as some people told me they no longer buy asparagus as a precaution. These two species have absolutely nothing to do with each other, and it is very important to communicate on the subject so that the sector does not suffer from this gross confusion. Some media have even published photos of cooked green asparagus to illustrate their articles about these cases of poisoning,” according to a professional of the sector.
