Traditionally, EastFruit pays a lot of attention to trending crops even before they become such. Asparagus is a vegetable that is still a niche product in our region. However, many producers in our region already make good money on asparagus, first of all, in Ukraine, where asparagus production began to actively develop about 10 years ago. In Georgia the culture of asparagus consumption is well developed due to the traditions of wild-growing asparagus consumption, and now its commercial production is also developing.

In Russia, asparagus is only becoming popular among wealthy consumers and retail prices for it are relatively high, $ 10 to $ 15, while consumers in the EU pay 2-3 times less. However, over the past five years, several relatively large commercial asparagus producers have emerged in Russia as well.

The ” Asparagus Valley” company from North Ossetia calls itself the largest producer of asparagus in Russia. It states that it has 55 hectares of it but plans to harvest only about 120 tons of fresh asparagus in 2021. According to other sources, asparagus area in the company has already been increased to 70 hectares and is planned to double, while developing a nursery for growing asparagus rhizomes to sale to other producers. The Republic of North Ossetia announced that the area cultivated with asparagus in the region will increase to 600 hectares in the future, but these statements are made by officials ignoring the realities of the market and technological peculiarities of the establishment and development of asparagus business.

The area cultivated with ​​asparagus at the Russian Asparagus Valley has increased by about 35 hectares in three years, i.e., the company plants 10-15 hectares of asparagus annually and has good prospects in this business. Asparagus Valley grows exclusively Dutch varieties of this perennial crop, offering three types of asparagus: green, white and purple.

Rassvet farm affiliated with AFG National also invests in asparagus. The company’s plantations are located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The company specializes in the industrial production of fresh berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and honeysuckle. However, the company believes that asparagus is ideal for berry producers because the agricultural technology of its cultivation, the post-harvest handling and marketing are very similar to the ones in the berry business. Therefore, in 2018, the company established the first asparagus plantations, which have already increased to 16 hectares. Rassvet farm plans to have the first commercial harvest of asparagus, about 30 tons, this year. The company produces green and white asparagus.

Read also: Frost damages, high prices and harvest delays – Asparagus market in Europe

Asparagus has been grown at the Agrofirma Otechestvenny Ecoproduct LLC in the Moscow region since 2016. The company was one of the pioneers of the Russian asparagus business and has now a total planted area of ​​about 7.5 hectares, although the company says it plans to gradually expand it. By the way, the same company offers another niche vegetable, popular in many European countries, artichoke. It also uses asparagus planting material from the Netherlands and Germany.

At the same time, EastFruit found many small, semi-commercial asparagus plantations, usually near large Russian cities. An interesting story was recently published on the website of the administration of the Tambov region about a farmer from the Netherlands, who married a Russian girl, decided to start farming in the Tambov region in Russia. Having won the Agrostartup competition, the couple received a grant for the development of open field crop production and planted asparagus on a small area. Thus, we are talking not only about the Dutch planting material, but also the experience that is now being used in Russia.

By the way, asparagus is not really an exotic crop for Russia. It is believed that before the revolution that ended the Russian Empire, asparagus was cultivated here on thousands of hectares and was even actively exported to Europe. Then, consumers completely forgot about asparagus as a bourgeois product, and remembered it again only after residents of the former USSR began to actively visit EU countries and get acquainted with the local cuisine. This is how Russian gourmands and consumers with a relatively high level of income again love asparagus.

Read also: Asparagus in Uzbekistan: assessing the profitability of production and exports

The interest in asparagus in Russia is fueled by food and sport bloggers, who share information on properties of asparagus for those who lead a healthy lifestyle, strive to lose weight, or like to eat delicious food. Asparagus dishes are a must-have on the menu of many restaurants in Russia. Russia imports fresh asparagus from Thailand, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador and, more recently, from Georgia and Armenia. Frozen asparagus is imported mainly from China and Peru.

Many might be surprised if we say that asparagus is grown by almost all floriculture professionals and amateurs in Russia. It is called “hare chill” or “medicinal chill” among the locals and florists. They do not eat it and It is used in bouquets or landscape design.

How many hectares of asparagus are there in Russia today? According to EastFruit, there are no more than 120 hectares of commercial and semi-commercial asparagus fields in Russia, while there are at least three times more of them in Ukraine. Accordingly, the opportunities for expanding the cultivation of asparagus in the region are still very good, and investments in asparagus should be considered primarily by farms located near large cities and with insufficient areas to grow cereals, oilseeds or other industrial crops. As the experience of Chile, Peru, Mexico and some EU countries shows, it is also a good idea for berry producers to grow asparagus to extend the production season and use agricultural equipment, labor, refrigeration, packaging and marketing capacity more efficiently.

Сообщение Russian asparagus with a Dutch flavor – how much asparagus does Russia produce and who are the largest asparagus growers? появились сначала на EastFruit.

Asparagus is one of the most trending vegetables worldwide – according to EastFruit, its consumption is growing rapidly, and its producers are making good profits. In particular, in the countries of Eastern Europe, the demand for asparagus is growing faster than its production, so the prices for asparagus are about 2-3 times higher there than in the European Union, where asparagus has long been a traditional spring product.

Nevertheless, producers in Uzbekistan and Central Asian countries ignored these trends for some reason, as in the case of blueberries. Therefore, the production and consumption of asparagus is not developed here, and consumers do not know what asparagus is.

It turns out that Uzbek farmers are losing the opportunity to earn very good money on growing this crop, which can bring much more profit than all other vegetables – it is the only outdoor vegetable sold at $ 6-10 per kg. Therefore, we will try here to assess the possible benefits of growing asparagus in Uzbekistan, both for consumption and for exports – there are many of them!

To assess the prospects for asparagus consumption in Uzbekistan, EastFruit conducted a non-representative survey to determine how familiar consumers are with asparagus. Mainly people with higher education who have been abroad, including in European countries, were questioned. However, even among them, only 67% know what asparagus is and 47% have eaten asparagus at least once.

Notable fact is that most of them liked asparagus. The taste of asparagus was rated four or five out of five by 69% of EastFruit respondents. Only 25% of them did not like asparagus at all, and 6% of the surveyed Uzbekistan residents rated the taste of asparagus at a C grade. Therefore, undoubtedly, this product is promising for the domestic market, which is very receptive.

Many of those Uzbek consumers who liked asparagus already buy it in Uzbekistan, but frozen. For example, online delivery Lebazar offers frozen asparagus under the Russian brand Kruzhevo Vkusa at 90 thousand sums, which is equivalent to $ 8.5 per 400 grams or $ 21.3 per kg. Most likely, this frozen asparagus was imported from China to Russia, packed there and exported to Uzbekistan, as Russia imports bulk frozen asparagus from China.

For comparison, the current prices for frozen asparagus in Ukraine are around $ 10 per kg, while the average retail price for fresh asparagus in the high season is around $ 6-8 per kg. In the EU countries, where asparagus is actively consumed and has been growing for a long time and in large quantities, retail prices for asparagus in the high season fluctuate in the range of $ 4-6 per kg.

However, prices in Russia are higher than in Ukraine or the EU, because local consumption is increasing and asparagus production is underdeveloped. Accordingly, this is a good news for Uzbekistan, which will be able to add another product to its exports.

At the same time, in Uzbekistan, asparagus can be harvested much earlier than in other countries, which of course gives the possibility of a higher price.  Asparagus can even be harvested in March in southern regions, if grown in open field, and in February, if grown in covered culture. At this time, asparagus is imported to Russia mainly from Peru at rather high prices.

However, asparagus is very likely to become popular in the domestic market, as well. Moreover, it may be one of the first crops of the new harvest. Asparagus is also becoming trendy among those who are interested in a healthy lifestyle and maintain a healthy diet. As it is one of the most low-calorie foods high in healthy plant fiber, asparagus is very popular among those trying to keep fit.

It is notable that asparagus belongs to medicinal plants in many countries. It lowers blood pressure, slows down the heart rate, dilates peripheral vessels, and relieves fatigue. Asparagus promotes the elimination of harmful substances from the body; therefore, it is recommended for treating diseases of the kidneys, heart, rheumatism, gout and other, because asparagus is rich in vitamins, minerals and contains a lot of folic acid. Thus, it is considered healthy for strengthening the immune system and improving vision.

Therefore, asparagus was the food of the gods in ancient Egypt, and it is called the “king of vegetables” in France. The leader in its consumption is Germany, where they prefer white asparagus, while in most other countries, mainly green and rare purple varieties of asparagus are popular.

In addition to its health benefits, asparagus is very tasty. There are many recipes for cooking asparagus on the Internet, and the tops of young asparagus can even be eaten raw! Asparagus can also be grilled, baked in the oven, boiled, added to salads, etc. Asparagus is perfectly combined with other products: both with meat and fish, in main courses and as a side dish.

As the prices for asparagus in Uzbekistan are still high, and few people know about it, producers should not count on huge sales right away. However, they will not get asparagus right away, as well. It is a perennial crop, and it should be harvested only on the second or third year of the growing season. But it can bear fruit for several years, and based on the production technology, up to 10 tons of asparagus can be harvested per year. Asparagus is often grown by the same producers who also grow berries, in particular blueberries, as this allows to expand the season for hiring seasonal workers, and asparagus distribution channels, as well as cooling, processing and logistics, are similar to those of berries.

Another advantage of Uzbekistan over other asparagus producers is the availability of a relatively cheap labor. Asparagus requires a lot of manual labor, and workers in the EU are paid much more. In addition, there is a shortage of labor.

Asparagus has its own specifics, and you should know it before starting to produce asparagus. It needs cooling, especially when exporting to distant markets, as well as processing and packaging. Improperly packaged asparagus can either rot or wither before it reaches consumers.

Ukraine, where asparagus production began to develop earlier than in other countries is the largest producer of asparagus in the former USSR. However, even Ukraine has not yet exported it, although it is assumed that asparagus can become the number 1 export product of Ukraine.

The largest exporters of asparagus in the world are Peru, Mexico, USA, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. Among the former socialist countries, the production and export of asparagus is best developed in Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. China and Thailand are the largest exporters of fresh asparagus in Asia.

The largest volumes of asparagus are imported by the United States, where its consumption remains high throughout the year. Therefore, it is the United States that imports 10 times more asparagus annually than the second largest importer, Germany. In addition to them, Canada, France, Spain, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland and Belgium are also among the leaders in the global imports. In Asia, besides aforementioned Japan, the biggest fresh asparagus imports are in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and South Korea. The volume of asparagus exports is also growing in the Middle East, primarily in the UAE.

The preliminary conclusion of our experts is that Uzbekistan should now pay attention to the cultivation of asparagus, if the country plans to enter in the global fruit and vegetable markets. After all, the assortment of fruit and vegetables is one of the most important advantages of the exporters, not to mention the high prices for asparagus. Since Uzbekistan is far from key sales markets, has no access to seaports, and the logistics of exports will always be relatively expensive for it, it is important to pay attention to expensive products.

Сообщение Asparagus in Uzbekistan: assessing the profitability of production and exports появились сначала на EastFruit.

The season of local asparagus is gradually gaining momentum in Ukraine and prices are still holding at relatively high levels, EastFruit reports . The current season of asparagus in  Ukraine started about two weeks later than last year , and prices for the first small wholesale batches were on average 15% higher.

At the moment, the supply of local asparagus on the Ukrainian market is still limited, and good quality products are offered at a rather high price. So, large producers who have contracts for the supply of asparagus to supermarket chains still manage to sell their products from UAH 200 / kg ($ 7.20 / kg), while on the supermarket shelves the retail price could reach up to UAH 500 / kg. ($ 18 / kg).

It is noteworthy that only a few large producers who have established contacts with retail chains can count on such price levels. In the meantime, the situation looks less rosy for small farmers. Thus, the active growth in the popularity of asparagus in Ukraine in the past few years has naturally led to an increase in the cultivated area with many small producers involved.

As a result, in the wholesale markets of the southern regions, where asparagus mature earlier, there are already offers of small wholesale lots of asparagus at prices around UAH 100 / kg, and the producers themselves receive an even lower price. In this case, we are talking about a low-quality product with frost damage or non-standard appearance and without packaging.

Regarding the expectation for the season, large producers will start the main supply of asparagus to supermarket chains and HoReCa enterprises only from next week. After an increase in supply, prices will naturally decrease, but it is still difficult to predict their exact level during the high season. On the one hand, the production of asparagus is definitely growing in Ukraine, and its supply is increasing significantly every year, putting pressure on prices in the market. On the other hand, the demand for asparagus in the current season will be higher thanks to the revitalization of HoReCa enterprises after the weakening of quarantine norms in the country. In addition, the range of prices in the market will continue to be very wide, as large producers working with supermarket chains will manage to keep the prices higher than small farmers.

Сообщение The prices for asparagus are still high in Ukraine but might collapse soon появились сначала на EastFruit.

EastFruit analysts note that the European asparagus market will experience record losses of production this year. At the same time, these losses may be offset by higher prices.

The main characteristic of the 2021 season is the delay in the harvest of asparagus by one and a half to two weeks in almost every European country – from Belgium and the Netherlands to Georgia. Even in Southern Europe, the season started later than usual.

A relevant aspect is the frost damage in most countries. Even in Italy, asparagus producers have faced losses. Asparagus producers in Poland, Germany, Ukraine and even Great Britain had similar problems.

Another point of interest is the high level of prices. There were critically low prices for asparagus last year in Europe. In Italy, the retail price fell below 3 euros per kg, and producers received no more than 1.5 euros per kg. The prices are much higher this year – retail prices in Italy are 7-9 euros per kg, and in Germany, where the season starts earlier and this year is heavily delayed, prices even exceed 10 euros per kg!

In Ukraine, the first batches of asparagus are now sold at a retail price of  8-10 euros per kg average, but the main season has not started yet. Farmers in the central and northern regions of the country had to cut off the frozen first shoots of asparagus, and this delayed the beginning of the season even more. Asparagus producers of the southern regions took advantage and they are actively selling their production at high prices.

In Moldova, prices for asparagus also reach 10-12 euros per kg, but it is not yet as popular as in Ukraine. Nevertheless, both the demand for asparagus and the interest in its production in Moldova are growing.

Georgia starts harvesting asparagus earlier than other countries in the region, but this year the season started late here too. Georgian asparagus producers have more modest expectation than Ukrainian or Moldovan ones – asparagus costs only 3.7-4.2 euros per kg. By the way, the asparagus consumption is well developed in Georgia, because wild asparagus is harvested in spring.

A later start of the season and frost losses are likely to cause a decline in the asparagus harvest in Europe. However, most producers will be able to compensate the quantity losses by a higher price. At the same time, the persistence of high prices this season will negatively affect the already established trend of annual growth in the consumption of asparagus in the region.

“Ukrainian asparagus producers should take into account the climatic risk — after all, there are frosts from April 20 to May 15 almost every year, and in 2021 the frosts might go beyond May 15. Accordingly, they should consider growing asparagus indoors or at least under cover in order to mitigate risks. Considering its high prices in Ukraine, such costs will be justified,” Andriy Yarmak, economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) says.

“At the same time, the prospect of growth in asparagus production should be considered, because the investments are growing. As production increases, prices will decline, and producers will need to export asparagus, both fresh and frozen. I believe that this crop has a high potential for growth in consumption worldwide and it may even become the #1 export vegetable in Ukraine in terms of revenue. However, wholesale prices for asparagus are higher in Ukraine than in the EU, so there is no need for exports, and the profitability of growing asparagus in Ukraine significantly exceeds the profitability in EU or Poland. On one hand, prices are higher here, and on the other hand, costs are lower since labor is much cheaper. It means that there are perfect conditions now for attracting investment in asparagus production,” Andriy Yarmak adds.

Obviously, this season will not be an easy one for the European asparagus industry. This means that the international trade in asparagus may decline.

Сообщение Frost damages, high prices and harvest delays – Asparagus market in Europe появились сначала на EastFruit.

The start of the season of asparagus, as of other vegetables, will shift in Ukraine due to the cold spring this year, EastFruit reports and indicates what to expect on the market in the coming weeks.

“The asparagus season in 2020 in Ukraine began in mid-April, but in 2021 the first relatively large batches of it will be available on the Ukrainian market only by the beginning of May,” comments Tetiana Ivchenko, researcher at the Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing of the NAAS and an expert of the asparagus market.

According to EastFruit, there are now only small wholesale and retail lots of asparagus from small producers on the Ukrainian market. In this case, the prices for asparagus fluctuate within 200-300 UAH/kg ($ 7-11/kg), and it is still mainly distributed directly to consumers. The main sales season in supermarket chains and HoReCa enterprises will begin in just a few days.

“There is already a significant increase in demand for asparagus from restaurants and wholesalers, who got used to offering it to consumers at this time of the year. It confirms the fact that asparagus has already gained quite high popularity among Ukrainian buyers, and producers will have active demand in the current season,” Tetiana Ivchenko adds.

Problems for Ukrainian farmers could have been caused by a wave of frosts in almost all regions of the country last week. However, the freeze primarily hit small producers and those who were unable to use protective technologies. “Asparagus producers should know that in April-May almost every year there is a high probability of frost in Ukraine, so they need to be fully prepared for it and try to mitigate the consequences,” Tetiana Ivchenko continues.

Thus, cold spring and the recent wave of frosts have significantly shifted the start of the season in Ukraine, but such a delay at the start promises stable supplies of fresh produce until the end of June. “Otherwise, the outlook for the season is positive, as we can expect an increase in the supply of this healthy vegetable on the market this year. Moreover, the shift in the season may even be positive, because it will coincide with the reopen of the restaurant after the last Covid 19 wave and even now the demand for the future harvest from HoReCa promises to be quite high,” Tetiana Ivchenko sums up.

Сообщение Asparagus season is delayed in Ukraine, but it is likely to be successful появились сначала на EastFruit.

Georgian company Toki Agro Products LLC plans to resume supplying wild-grown organic asparagus to the market in 2021. The company will also start a pilot project to grow various varieties of asparagus on its own property. The agricultural land of the group of companies, including Toki Agro Products, and whose products are manufactured under the brand name Green Republic, are located in the highlands of the Aspindza municipality of the Samtskhe-Javakheti region in the southern part of Georgia. Today, the group owns about 20 hectares. Strawberries are grown on 3 hectares and various vegetables and cereals are grown on the rest.

Tornike Mzhavanadze, director and co-founder of Toki Agro Products, told EastFruit that wild-grown organic asparagus of the Green Republic brand first appeared in Georgian supermarket chains in 2019. These asparagus are endemic varieties in Georgia and they are harvested in the spring from an alpine, ecologically clean area.

“Together with Ilia State University, we conducted a study on endemic asparagus varieties in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Based on the results, the co-founders of the company – myself and Levan Shanava – decided to organize its collection and delivery to the market. In appearance, the wild asparagus we collect from an ecologically clean zone is very similar to cultivated varieties, but it has a special taste – much tastier and more aromatic. In addition, prices for organic products are higher. In 2019, we received a bio-certificate for asparagus from Caucascert, a local bio-certification body accredited by DAkkS in Germany. After that, we began supplying our products to Georgian supermarket chains where they immediately became in high demand. However, in the spring of 2020 amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we suspended production. In 2021, we plan to resume production again in early spring when the harvest begins and update the bio-certificate.

“Again, we will supply the products only to the Georgian market in supermarket chains. It is too early to speak of export at this stage. In 2019, we sent trial batches of our products to the European Union and received very good responses. However, considering the collection of asparagus growing in the wild is very dependent on weather conditions, the productivity of the picking teams, as well as other factors affecting transportation logistics, means we cannot ensure its stable supply to Europe,” says Mr. Mzhavanadze.

Read also: Smart Logistics is only Georgian company supplying vegetables to McDonald’s in Georgia

The co-founder also states it will be possible to consider the export of fresh asparagus only after the company has established its own cultivation of asparagus. “In parallel with the production of wild-grown asparagus in 2021, we plan to plant on our farm several cultivated varieties that are most popular today, including in Europe. Also, we will plant endemic wild varieties on our land. Perhaps we will grow some part of the asparagus in greenhouse conditions. We want to see which varieties take root better as well as give higher yields in specific soil and climatic conditions. This will be an experiment, but it is not the first in our agribusiness’ history and we are preparing for it now. Ideally, cultivated varieties will enable us to secure export stability. For the wild-grown varieties, the yield of which will naturally be lower, the cultivated will replenish the assortment. Of course, all this will be carried out again through bio-production. If everything goes well, then I think by 2024 (since asparagus, as a rule, yields a harvest in the third year) we will start exporting our products,” Tornike Mzhavanadze said.

Mr. Mzhavanadze adds that the company is considering the European Union as a promising export market for their organic asparagus.

Сообщение Georgian company to resume supplies of wild-grown organic asparagus in spring появились сначала на EastFruit.