UK asparagus growers see the UK market growing even more than initially predicted.
Jamie Petchell, the Hargreaves Plants manager responsible for asparagus, stressed: “Not only are we effectively sold out of crowns for this spring, we are going to need a much greater production for spring 2008. Orders are firmly in the book.”
The New Zealand cultivar, Pacific 2000, is rising in popularity with its high combined yield and attractive spears, the firm said. Ariane is a more recent addition to the Hargreaves Plants range, but good trial results mean it is likely to take significant market share.
Asparagus enthusiasts are buying ever more of the New Zealand-bred purple sorts, according to the company. These are now finding their way onto the shelves of the specialist multiples. The Canadian-raised late variety, Guelph Millennium is the one showing the largest increase. “We still sell some of the Dutch-bred material, but less and less as the quality of the newer varieties becomes recognised,” added Petchell.
Marie-Laure Bayard, technical manager of Hargreaves Plants’ asparagus development, has seen work on the company’s trials start much earlier.
“Without protection but benefiting from our warm Norfolk sand, about one half of 200 plus selections are now showing spear emergence. If the warmth continues we will be cutting much earlier than in 2006,” said Bayard. “This is going to be an exciting season for the growing industry as we are in our first full harvest on the trials. We have discarded approximately 25 percent. and are now concentrating on monitoring the remainder.”
Hargreaves plans to invite the major organisations involved in asparagus to its trials this spring, and has welcomed individual company visits. “With a fast rising consumption of asparagus, an exciting range of improved cultivars and the advent of AspireUK,” Petchell concluded.
“It may not be the biggest sector in agriculture, but it is certainly looking very good.”
