South Africa experiencing asparagus shortage

Published 2023년 6월 9일

Tridge summary

South Africa is experiencing a asparagus shortage, with low export volumes from traditional suppliers like Mexico and Peru due to the transition period between plant harvests. The high cost of importing asparagus due to the weakening Rand-Dollar exchange rate has also contributed to the shortage. The local asparagus industry is in transition, with few commercial producers and a need for significant investment due to the crop's long growth cycle. Despite these challenges, asparagus remains popular in South Africa. The country is celebrating World Avo Month in June, highlighting the versatility of avocados as a comfort food during winter.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

There is a shortage of asparagus in South Africa and less asparagus has been exported from its traditional suppliers. It was reported on the Johannesburg municipal market's website that an extremely low number of asparagus was sold on 8 June 2023 (200g punnets) at R140 (6.8 Euros) per kilogram. The traditional asparagus import season runs from the beginning of March until the end of August. Imports are mainly from Mexico and Peru. This year lower volumes have been imported and the weakening of the Rand-Dollar exchange rate makes it an expensive product to procure. Read more about fruit and vegetable smuggling here. Local asparagus industry in transition There are very few commercial asparagus producers left in South Africa and FreshPlaza says little re-investment has been made in traditional areas like Ficksburg in the Free State. New asparagus projects elsewhere in the Free State and in neighboring countries are however getting underway. Asparagus demands long-term investment. ...

Source: Agriorbit