The situation regarding German asparagus is not as bad as some assume because of the cold spring, says Frank Saalfeld, managing director of the Association of East German Asparagus and Berry Growers (Vosba): “The start around Easter was indeed difficult because of the cold, but in the meantime the soil already stores a lot of heat during the day. And thanks to the cover films, it’s no longer released during the nights.”

At worst, the asparagus grows a little slower, but that in no way diminishes its quality – on the contrary: the relatively even temperatures are perfect for asparagus. And the harvesters don’t have to scour the same areas twice a day, which in turn leads to higher harvest productivity, he says. “This also means the spears don’t turn purple as quickly,” Saalfeld tells thegermanyeye.com, “although that doesn’t mean a reduction in quality. But customers are now used to good white asparagus.”

Due to the Corona pandemic, there have been no major problems so far in this year’s harvest. In contrast to 2020, asparagus farmers in the region had been able to prepare for this early on – with special hygiene concepts, work in groups and, above all, sufficient testing.