Where has all the asparagus acreage gone?

Peru might be one place to look. From the USDA's Vegetable Acreage report of Sept. 4, statistics showing a dramatic decline in U.S. asparagus acreage: From the report:

Asparagus: Production from the 2008 asparagus crop is forecast at 952,000 cwt, down 15 percent from last year. Harvested area, at 32,200 acres, is down 16 percent from 2007. Fresh production of 718,000 cwt, is down 22 percent from a year ago. Processed production, at 11,700 tons, is up 18 percent from 2007. Asparagus for canning, at 7,100 tons, is up 20 percent from last year. Frozen asparagus production of 4,600 tons, is up 15 percent from 2007. Total value of the crop, at 79.7 million dollars, is down 23 percent from 2007. In California, a mostly excellent quality crop was reported throughout the growing season, however, acreage continues to decline due to competition from imports. In Michigan, the asparagus spears emerged in late April. Warm temperatures allowed crop development to proceed ahead of schedule. Harvest began in early May and continued at a slow pace for the
remainder of the month due to weather conditions. Purple spots were reported in some fields. Harvest was complete in some areas by mid-June.

TK: Asparagus acreage harvested in California for 2008 totaled just 14,500 acres, down from 20,000 acres last year and 22,500 acres two years ago.


From coverage in The Packer in March:

A dive in California asparagus acreage is largely a result of growers becoming more diversified in their offerings and shrinking asparagus production, or switching to a different crop entirely because asparagus is so expensive to manage, said Cherie Watte, executive director of the Stockton-based California Asparagus Commission.

Today, growers are opting to plant commodities like wheat, corn and alfalfa that are cheaper to produce -- as they are less labor intensive and don't require as much water -- and are a reliable source of income.

"The general costs of bringing asparagus in, doesn't warrant doing it any longer for some," said Leo Rolandelli, president of San Francisco-based Jacobs, Malcolm & Burtt Inc. "The mentality of the farmer right now is -- why do I want to put through the unknown? I don't see any relief."

James Paul, director of sales and marketing for Greg Paul Produce Sales Inc., Stockton, said converting to spring mix, lettuce, blueberries or selling land to real estate are more viable -- and common -- options for some asparagus farmers.

"Pretty soon, there's not going to be enough California growers to even be considered a niche," Paul said.

Watte offered a more optimistic approach to the transforming California asparagus industry.

"It's a permanent transition into a globally competitive economy," she said. "Acreage is going to stabilize and hopefully we can find that balance between supply and demand and what we need to produce to market."

TK: Couple of questions. Will country of origin labeling help reverse the trend of declining fresh acreage in Cali, and why is Michigan's asparagus acreage dropping at a much slower rate? Do school purchases of processed asparagus help? Any thots, readers...