The prospects for this season's asparagus harvest in the Spanish region of Navarra are very good this year, mainly due to the fact that the plots planted in 2017, which had great conditions this summer, are becoming productive.
Due to the mild winter temperatures and the lack of rainfall, the season is kicking off at least a week earlier and is expected to continue until mid-June.
Following a decline in the crop's replanting, many growers have decided to plant asparagus again over the past three years, which shows that the situation is still good for this traditional Navarrese product. It is worth keeping in mind that an asparagus plant only becomes fully productive in the third year after the planting. In the first year, the plant germinates; in the second year, it yields half a harvest or is allowed to grow further, and in the third year, there is a normal harvest.
Also, the amount of asparagus sold in the fresh market has grown in recent years, even though most of the harvest is still intended for the canning industry.
According to figures published by the Regulatory Council, last year, the PGI Espárrago de Navarra ('Asparagus of Navarre') had a total of 1,700 hectares registered, spread over 1,955 plots. The 507 registered growers delivered a total of 4.876.506 kilos of asparagus. The certified fresh asparagus production stood at 181,185 kilos, while 3,575,217 kilos of certified asparagus went to the canning industry. The latter were processed by 31 registered canning factories.
