Hargreaves Plants has targeted Peru as the latest area of asparagus production it is interested in exploring, as it looks to develop further across the globe.
Peru currently produces 25,000 tonnes of asparagus from 20,000 hectares and the area is tipped for future growth.
Jamie Petchell, Hargreaves Plants asparagus project leader, and Paul Taylor, Hargreaves Plants CEO met with representatives of Agrokasa, the producers of fresh asparagus in Peru. Agrokasa specialises in growing high-grade class I material.
Petchell said: “A number of UK wholesale and multiple outlets have indicated a preference for more choice, indeed some would welcome an exclusive variety. We aim to send a carefully selected range of varieties to Peru now. It will be good working with Agrokasa. They are interested in improving spear quality, see a big future for the new purple varieties and are testing shelf-life. Increasing shelf-life by three or four days would be a major advantage.”
Petchell adds that Hargreaves is now planning to address production in Thailand and other fast-growing production areas.
