Asparagus crops primed for comeback

Posted by IronPlanet on Apr 26, 2012 4:46:00 AM

Asparagus crops are seeing a comeback for the first time in decades, partially due to an increased demand for healthy, homegrown foods.

The Associated Press reports that asparagus was a strong crop for the U.S. 25 years ago, but has decreased in popularity primarily due to two economic policies. In 1991, the U.S. reduced tariffs on asparagus imported from South America in order to give farmers a profitable alternative to cocaine and other illegal drug crops. Three years later, the North American Free Trade Agreement resulted in a boost in Mexican asparagus production due to reduced taxes for the country.

The effect on the American asparagus industry was staggering. In 1990, Washington state produced 100 million pounds of the vegetable. Twenty years later, that number was just 17 million pounds. However, 2012 could ultimately be a comeback year for the crop, as farmers are planting the biggest amount of asparagus in more than decade. Demand has soared for the crop in recent years, and just about all of the vegetable that was produced was easily sold.

"We probably hit our bottom, and now, we're finally starting to bounce back," Bill Middleton, who operates an asparagus nursery in Washington, told the news source. "Prices are good. Demand is good. It's too early to tell, but the indications are that we'll have a strong year."

Asparagus farmers say that production of the crop could increase further thanks to new seed types that will allow for more asparagus to be planted on the same amount of land. However, asparagus is still a labor intensive crop, and the stalks must be picked by hand rather than agricultural equipment.

Even when dealing with crops that need to be hand-picked, farmers can still benefit from used agricultural equipment like sprayers. The online auction site IronPlanet offers a wide array of equipment, typically at a more affordable price than buying new.

Topics: Industry Headlines