Peruvian asparagus has become a year-round fixture on the shelves at Sainsbury’s, as the South American source developed its export crop to meet specific market specifications.
Buyer Chris Evans told the Journal: “Asparagus was a minority crop at the end of the 1980s, but experienced a boom in the 90s. The Peruvian crop has rocketed in importance following significant investment in infrastructure from the private sector, plus internal economic reforms conducive to market growth.
Peru is now is the second largest asparagus producer in the world - after China - and the biggest exporter. And gras has become the country’s main export, overtaking coffee, which has traditionally held the top spot.
“Peru is able to supply 12 months because of an ideal microclimate in the production region. The weather also produces consistently high yields, which enables exporters to maintain supply programmes throughout the year,” said Evans.
Steady demand from international markets, including the UK, has pushed up acreage and volumes. And a succession of poor production seasons in Europe catapulted demand onto another level. Spanish asparagus, for instance, is rarely seen on UK retail shelves, and not at all at Sainsbury’s, as Peru positions itself as the world’s key asparagus supplier.
