Victor Aveling of the Asparagus Growers’ Association (AGA) has stepped down from his position after 21 years as chairman.
Aveling relinquished his role at the 28th AGA annual general meeting and conference held at the Royal Court Hotel in Coventry last month.
Andy Allen of Portwood Farm in Norfolk is the new chairman of the association, having been a founder member of the group some 28 years ago.
In his chairman’s report, Aveling advised that the asparagus industry in the UK has changed beyond belief in the 28 years since Charles Musker was the largest UK grower, having 40 acres of production.
“There was virtually no refrigeration and the maximum area grown depended on the number of staff that could be recruited locally to harvest and pack the crop,” he reported.
In parting, Aveling mentioned Andrew Green, whose contacts made it possible to direct research from the highest level within Adas. He also thanked founder secretary and treasurer Michael Paske and the late Bryn Powell and Wilson Dyer, who both did much research into the crop.
The closed conference for members and guests covered technical and marketing topics, including an update on the pesticide directive from the EU by Vivian Powell of the Horticultural Development Company and a summary of the 2009 UK asparagus PR campaign by Madeleine Waters of Pam Lloyd PR.
The association is in the process of organising the European Asparagus Conference, to take place in the UK in March 2010. This will be linked with a trade and technical exhibition, with companies from throughout Europe attending. The two-day conference will also feature a day of visits to companies in the asparagus industry.
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