ASPARAGUS IN PERU

Peruvian asparagus production has developed in the last 4 years to become the country's third agricultural export after coffee and cacao. In 1992, Peru exported some 61,000 tons of canned, fresh and frozen asparagus for a total value of US $ 50.0 Million, mostly to European and US markets and recently to other Latin American countries and Japan.

The Peruvian coastal area, west of the Andes mountains and near the Pacific Ocean, is a long strip of desert-like land about 50 Km wide and 2,500 Km long with average temperatures of 16 C in winter and 22°C in summer, with temperature variations of 6°C to 8°C between day and night, high solar radiation and little or no rainfall the year round. All Peruvian asparagus is grown in this area.

There are at present 17,700 Ha planted, of which 55% are ‘Mary Washington’ variety - mostly old plantations - 41% are UC 157 (both F1 and F2) - mostly recent plantings, ‘Ida Lea’, Cipres' and UC 72. About 73% of the area produces white asparagus and the rest green asparagus.

All fields are irrigated, either by gravity in the scattered coastal valleys or by drip or sprinkler irrigation from sub-soil water in adjacent deserts. This combination of mild winters and summers and water control enables growers to regulate harvests, and thus Peru is able to produce and export asparagus the year round.

Yields are very variable: they may reach as high as 22,000 Kg/Ha per year on 4 or 5 year-old high-quality plantings in Lima and Ica Departments, although the national average is around 5,600 Kg/Ha per year, due to about 50% of the area being low-quality old plantings in the north. Many growers regulate their crops to harvest twice a year, or else 3 times every two years; others harvest once a year. Research is under way to establish the best long-term cultural practices for Peru's special conditions.