In late October 2016, Guadex announced its plans to expand its productive capacity for asparagus. To this end, it has implemented a plan for the gradual conditioning of between 400 and 500 hectares of this crop within four years. In the previous campaign, the production amounted to around 40,000 kilos, but this year Guadex expects a significant increase and expects to harvest around 400,000 kilos of this herbaceous plant. As a result, it has had to hire 60 new warehouse workers.
The target of this Agrarian Transformation Society (SAT) is to diversify and expand the productive calendar, in the Vega del Guadalquivir, which currently lasts from mid-February to May. "For us, it is very interesting not to work only during the citrus months, but to extend the season as much as possible and improve the profitability," said the SAT President Manuel Bajo. The objective is to reach a production of four million kilos grown in other Andalusian provinces, such as Huelva and Jaen.
To promote the potential of this product, the producer has organised a technical conference at the plant in Palma del Río. The CEO, Juan Martínez, remarked that it is "a very interesting alternative for small family plantations, as well as for large, highly-technified plantations." Growers defend the social character of this type of crop, which can be grown by both small and medium producers. For his part, Jerónimo José Pérez, president of the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Training of Andalusia, predicted the crop's great potential, especially in the case of green asparagus. Guadex introduced the product in the 80's, at a time when there were about 3,000 hectares cultivated in the Vega.
These plantations had their boom in Spain until early in the 90's; from that time onwards, there was a slow decline which came to an end in 2010. Today, Andalusia is the Spanish region with the largest production in this sector.
