Asparagus
He and his clients - particularly those in retail and foodservice - are, thus, looking to expand the use of asparagus.
Will’s buyers are noticeably increasingly interested. “We’re sure this addition to the range is going to grow.” Although overall, asparagus acreage is shrinking, Teboza is “You can use white, green, peeled, soup, expanding, and, for Will, sustainability is stir fry, or barbecue asparagus, to make an important aspect of this. “We’ve grown the range accessible to everyone. That’s sustainably, which also ensures a sustainsomething that needs a bit more work.” able, not too big and not too small, supply Therefore, along with white asparagus, for our customers,” he concludes. Teboza also grows green and purple varieties. The latter is a niche product in which
Royal ZON assumes that the Dutch asparagus acreage will decrease further, which offers opportunities to young growers
Rick Mengers, Royal ZON:
A long season generally bodes well “It’s going well,” is how Royal Zon’s Prod- equal last year’s exceptionally good seauct Manager Rick Mengers described the son, but, at the moment, it doesn’t look asparagus market at the end of March. bad.” Royal Zon is a Dutch cooperative focused on (inter)national fruit and vegetable SEASONAL PRODUCT sales. Rick says the sunny days in March ZON also sees promising long-term marare making for excellent quality aspara- ket developments for these stem vegetagus. The nights, which were still quite cold, bles. “As long as it remains a nice seasonal caused a somewhat lower production, vegetable, shoppers are inclined to pay a which Rick expected. That, and the tra- little more for asparagus than for a yearditionally higher demand around Easter, round product.” That is why Rick advowill make prices climb considerably. Rick, cates keeping the asparagus season cleartoo, is optimistic about the remainder of ly defined. That seasonal market offers the season’s outlook. “We started early definite chances for this vegetable and its this year, and, generally, a long season is growers. For example, Dutch asparagus a good one. I’m not saying we’re going to growers are, on average, quite old, he says.
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So, with a lack of succession, asparagus acreage is expected to shrink soon, which offers more expansion opportunities for the younger growers. An increasing interest in asparagus characterizes the consumer market. ZON, Teboza, and the Greenery are committed to this with the Dutch Asparagus Center. “Together, we’re paving the way with asparagus; especially in some areas in the Netherlands, where people aren’t as familiar with asparagus, this vegetable is being increasingly embraced.”
