The white asparagus from the French company APSA2 is among the earliest in Europe. “This is possible because we are using a heating network. The harvest will begin around January 14th,” explains Jacques Guironnet, manager of APSA2. The company produces high-end asparagus, very white and very tender.

Zero-emission heating
“We heat our fields so our asparagus are very regular in quality. If peeled correctly, they leave no fibers on the plate once eaten. That’s why our clients like our products so much.” ASPA2 uses a zero-emission heating system. “We want the surface area to be heated, so we cannot really increase the size of our production. We prefer to control our volumes and keep offering a qualitative product.”

The company is located in the department of Indre-et-Loire, in west-central France. Jacques attaches great importance to the whiteness of his asparagus. “We do not offer asparagus that tend to go pink like those from the South of France. We train our pickers to spot the asparagus before it even comes out of the ground, if possible. They also pick by hand and only a few meters at a time, so the product stays cool and in the dark as much as possible. The fields are covered with black plastic.”

A challenge to export to Germany
In the European market, ASPA2 sells its asparagus in France, in the Benelux and in Germany. “There are not a lot of French companies that export asparagus to Germany. We do it because our quality standards match those of Germany and the Netherlands. The very white asparagus are popular among consumers there. Besides, our asparagus arrive at a date when there is no German production yet. But trade with Germany is not easy. As soon as their asparagus production is going, they tend to only want German asparagus.”

The importance of the Asian market
Asia is another important market for ASPA2. “We export to Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan. The asparagus is shipped by air. Our Asian clients are mostly people with an interest in French gastronomy. They are active in the catering industry or the gourmet food market.” Jacques has been exporting to Asia for 15 years. “Our export brand ASPA is pretty well-known over there.”

For more information:

ASPA2

Rue Gustave Eiffel

Les Grands Clos

37420 Avoine

France

Phone: +33 (0)2 47 58 95 93

Fax: +33 (0)2 53 68 26 65

info@aspa2.fr

www.aspa2.fr

Find ASPA2 at Fruit Logistica in Berlin: Hall 22 C-04