China: Growing asparagus with global appeal

With the onset of the asparagus harvesting season, factories in Caoxian County, east China's Shandong Province, are operating at full capacity to sort and process the crunchy and sweet vegetables. Once processed, the canned asparagus will be shipped to dining tables across the globe to be enjoyed as a delectable side dish to complement meals. Benefiting from the exceptional cultivation conditions, asparagus in Caoxian County has been recognized as a geographical indication product. According to Zhou Changsheng, manager of an asparagus-processing company in the county, asparagus is the leading export product for the company, with an annual export of approximately 11,000 tons of canned asparagus. Among these, canned white asparagus is primarily exported to Europe, Southeast Asia, and other regions, with export volume accounting for 80 percent of the national total, Zhou said. Apart from being made into canned food for instant consumption, the asparagus from the county has also been ...