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WATERMELON — F.O.B.S AS OF FEB. 13

MEXICO CROSSINGS THROUGH TEXAS — Crossings (85-71-77) — Movement expected about the same. Trading early fairly active, late moderate. Supplies light. Prices higher. Red-flesh seedless-type per-pound cartons 4-6s mostly 30 cents; 24-inch bins approximately 35, 45 and 60 counts mostly 28 cents. Quality generally good. Most present shipments from prior bookings and/or previous commitments at lower prices.

CENTRAL AMERICA IMPORTS — Imports (88*-108*-62, seedless 47*-79*-8; seeded 0-0-0) — Imports via boat from Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua. Movement expected to remain about the same. Ports of entry: south Florida. Trading active. Prices higher. Cartons flat red-flesh seedless miniature 6-9s mostly $15. Red-flesh seedless-type 65- to 69-pound cartons 3-6s 32-33 cents per pound. Quality good. *revised.

MEXICO CROSSINGS THROUGH NOGALES, ARIZ. — Crossings (35-31-20, seedless 33-31-20, seeded 2-0-0) — Movement expected about the same. Trading active for very light supplies. Prices much higher. Red-flesh seedless-type cartons per-pound 4-5s mostly 34 cents, 6s 30-34 cents. Quality variable.



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Home > Opinion > Opinion > Asparagus needs cooperation, not cutthroats

Opinion

Asparagus needs cooperation, not cutthroats

01/27/2012 9:44:53 AM
Tara Schupner

Tara Schupner, Copy Editor I discovered the pleasures of asparagus a couple years ago, when my chef boyfriend prepared it as a side dish.

I discovered the pleasures of asparagus a couple years ago, when my chef boyfriend prepared it as a side dish. 
Since then, it’s been my favorite side or snacking item. It’s quick and easy to prepare and highly nutritious. 
However, quality asparagus has not been as easy for me to find. 
Add in the cost factor, and half the time I go to my local supermarket for asparagus, I walk out empty-handed or with another vegetable altogether. 
Last week was only the latest example. 
After a green bean-filled holiday season, I was craving some asparagus. 
But all the supermarket had to offer were bunches of pencil-thin, floppy hot messes that were more wrinkled than my great-uncle. They were also $4.99 a pound. 
Next to the asparagus were 1-pound bags of green beans. They were freckled with brown spots, but they were less than half the cost. 
So, for the umpteenth time, I left the store without asparagus.
This scenario illustrates perfectly why the global asparagus industry needs to work together to ensure a quality product at the end of the supply chain, particularly in retail. 
In The Packer's recent California Asparagus shipping profile, there’s a story about developing dialogue between the California and Mexico asparagus industries in order to reduce the spirit of cutthroat competition and increase cooperation even when deals overlap. 
There is a precedent for unity in the asparagus category. 
Decades ago, California’s industry was fragmented, Cherie Watte Angulo, executive director of the El Centro-based California Asparagus Commission, said in an e-mail. 
Industry insiders held their contacts and secrets “close to the vest,” she said, and state groups didn’t fully communicate.
However, common concerns such as labor availability, research into more effective technology, grant opportunities and legislative changes have served to unite the California industry. 
This has been beneficial, as “ideas blossom from ... communication,” Watte Angulo said.
It’s a lesson the Mexico and California industries should take to heart. 
They already have begun the process, with a meeting in San Diego in September, attended by representatives of the California, Washington, Michigan, Mexico and Peru asparagus industries. 
The focus was a marketing proposal, Watte Angulo said, but the discussion led some to realize the benefits of an ongoing dialogue and annual meetings. 
This dialogue needs to include some difficult negotiations about how to handle overlapping deals, such as when the Mexican and Californian deals elbow each other for shelf space to varying extents year after year. 
Getting rough
The growing volume of Mexican asparagus and the extension to a year-round deal has some California growers complaining about lowballing on prices and growers being knocked out of the business.
This competition does the industry as a whole a disservice when inferior product makes it to the shelves rather than fresh, early-season quality product. 
Particularly if, as Watte Angulo said, Mexican growers are looking to empty full cold rooms at the end of the season at fire-sale prices. 
With burgeoning Mexican volume available at the start of the California harvest, “this often results in lower market prices during a time when California growers believe the industry should receive a premium for delivering top quality product,” Watte Angulo said.
Consumer let-down 
This focus on green dollars at the beginning of the supply chain rather than on green asparagus at the end is hurting the industry as a whole. 
When consumers walk into stores in late January and see bunches of shriveled spears, they’re going to look for alternatives. 
When it happens a few too many times, individual consumers are going to write off asparagus altogether and go straight for the green beans, spinach, or what have ye. 
With year-round availability, per capita consumption of asparagus is growing, Watte Angulo said. 
This growth in consumption will get a significant boost from cooperation and focus on ensuring top-quality product on shelves rather than on growers milking what last few cents they can get out of end-season remnants. 
The better the asparagus, the more return business, and the more frequently these consumers will buy. 
This, I know from personal experience. 
Watte Angulo said she and her fellow Californians hope discussion on issues such as packaging, quality standards and research “leads to more consistent quality to the retail sector.”
Developing and enforcing a standard of quality — comparable to that used by Florida citrus and debated by the Vidalia onion industry — is crucial. 
Better educating retailers about what not to bother putting on shelves, and more visible promo material about the sourcing of asparagus (tags on bunches are too easily overlooked) should be a significant part of the dialogue, as well. 
tschupner@thepacker.com
What's your take? Leave a comment and tell us your opinion.I discovered the pleasures of asparagus a couple years ago, when my chef boyfriend prepared it as a side dish. 

Since then, it’s been my favorite side or snacking item. It’s quick and easy to prepare and highly nutritious. 

However, quality asparagus has not been as easy for me to find. 

Add in the cost factor, and half the time I go to my local supermarket for asparagus, I walk out empty-handed or with another vegetable altogether. 

Last week was only the latest example. 

After a green bean-filled holiday season, I was craving some asparagus. 

But all the supermarket had to offer were bunches of pencil-thin, floppy hot messes that were more wrinkled than my great-uncle. They were also $4.99 a pound. 

Next to the asparagus were 1-pound bags of green beans. They were freckled with brown spots, but they were less than half the cost. 

So, for the umpteenth time, I left the store without asparagus.

This scenario illustrates perfectly why the global asparagus industry needs to work together to ensure a quality product at the end of the supply chain, particularly in retail. 

In The Packer's recent California Asparagus shipping profile, there’s a story about developing dialogue between the California and Mexico asparagus industries in order to reduce the spirit of cutthroat competition and increase cooperation even when deals overlap. 

There is a precedent for unity in the asparagus category. 

Decades ago, California’s industry was fragmented, Cherie Watte Angulo, executive director of the El Centro-based California Asparagus Commission, said in an e-mail. 

Industry insiders held their contacts and secrets “close to the vest,” she said, and state groups didn’t fully communicate.

However, common concerns such as labor availability, research into more effective technology, grant opportunities and legislative changes have served to unite the California industry. 

This has been beneficial, as “ideas blossom from ... communication,” Watte Angulo said.

It’s a lesson the Mexico and California industries should take to heart. 

They already have begun the process, with a meeting in San Diego in September, attended by representatives of the California, Washington, Michigan, Mexico and Peru asparagus industries. 

The focus was a marketing proposal, Watte Angulo said, but the discussion led some to realize the benefits of an ongoing dialogue and annual meetings. 

This dialogue needs to include some difficult negotiations about how to handle overlapping deals, such as when the Mexican and Californian deals elbow each other for shelf space to varying extents year after year. 

Getting rough

The growing volume of Mexican asparagus and the extension to a year-round deal has some California growers complaining about lowballing on prices and growers being knocked out of the business.

This competition does the industry as a whole a disservice when inferior product makes it to the shelves rather than fresh, early-season quality product. 

Particularly if, as Watte Angulo said, Mexican growers are looking to empty full cold rooms at the end of the season at fire-sale prices. 

With burgeoning Mexican volume available at the start of the California harvest, “this often results in lower market prices during a time when California growers believe the industry should receive a premium for delivering top quality product,” Watte Angulo said.

Consumer let-down 

This focus on green dollars at the beginning of the supply chain rather than on green asparagus at the end is hurting the industry as a whole. 

When consumers walk into stores in late January and see bunches of shriveled spears, they’re going to look for alternatives. 

When it happens a few too many times, individual consumers are going to write off asparagus altogether and go straight for the green beans, spinach, or what have ye. 

With year-round availability, per capita consumption of asparagus is growing, Watte Angulo said. 

This growth in consumption will get a significant boost from cooperation and focus on ensuring top-quality product on shelves rather than on growers milking what last few cents they can get out of end-season remnants. 

The better the asparagus, the more return business, and the more frequently these consumers will buy. 

This, I know from personal experience. 

Watte Angulo said she and her fellow Californians hope discussion on issues such as packaging, quality standards and research “leads to more consistent quality to the retail sector.”

Developing and enforcing a standard of quality — comparable to that used by Florida citrus and debated by the Vidalia onion industry — is crucial. 

Better educating retailers about what not to bother putting on shelves, and more visible promo material about the sourcing of asparagus (tags on bunches are too easily overlooked) should be a significant part of the dialogue, as well. 

tschupner@thepacker.com

What's your take? Leave a comment and tell us your opinion.

 

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Sue Hawthorn

Report Abuse
UK  |  January, 28, 2012 at 10:23 AM

Here in the UK we get asparagus pretty much year round now. However, you are spot on in iden tifying the varying quality. Sometimes we get pretty good tasting asparagus from Peru and a week later it is tasteless and rubbery. Even looking at its fresheness doesn't always give you a clue as to how its going to taste. And size is no indicator as we know. I bought some beautiful fresh looking tiny thin asparagus imported from Thailand last autumn that turned out to have no taste at all whilst I've had good and bad from Peru in all shapes and sizes.

When we buy potatoes we get to know which varieties are going to cook well an which we prefer. With imported asparagus all we know is where it came from. It would be good to see the varieties marked up so that we as consumer could start to make judgements about what we like and what we don't. Some local grocers will give you this information proudly in season but I can't recall every seeing the variety marked up on asparagus in a supermarket.

Consumers may not be that savy when it comes to buying asparagus but they will never learn if they don't have the information. A better understadning of what we are buying and where it comes from muight help the consumer to make better choices, enjoy the experience and come back for more..

Jamie Petchell

Report Abuse
UK  |  January, 30, 2012 at 02:09 PM

We're at the forefront of developing new asparagus varieties for the UK and beyond. In total we've tried over 300 varieties and selections. We are all for naming asparagus varieties on the packaging. Growers have choices on which types to plant, consumers should have the same chance to choose what they want to buy. It is amazing how the flavour varies between different types, and you can only really tell when you try 4-5 in the same sitting - @asparagusman

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