Peruvian asparagus

Peruvian asparagus supply is set to pick up in October and November following “limited volume” during recent months.

Availability is expected to improve during the Peruvian spring after cold weather conditions during the South American country’s winter, a major European importer told Fruitnet.com.

Despite the slight contraction, the production situation is a marked turnaround from last year when winter temperatures fell to record lows in many areas of Peru; leading to a shortage of product.

“We have a better minimum temperature this season so we don’t expect any problem with the volume, the market and the demand,” explained a leading supplier in Peru.

Peru is forecast to produce 360,000 tonnes of asparagus in 2011, up 0.58 per cent on 2010, according to figures from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Favourable weather conditions and an increase in planted area are the reasons for the crop growth, which the USDA said will translate into a 12 per cent rise in exports to 210,000 tonnes.

The full report will be published in Eurofruit Magazine’s September issue.