Lei Mattheijssen bought the first crate of greenhouse asparagus of the new Dutch season on February 15. ZON will donate the €500 proceeds to KidzBase. This foundation adds color to the lives of children who, due to a disrupted home situation, can no longer live with their families.
On the left, buyer Lei Mattheijssen; on the right, ZON Product Manager Marcel Goumans
With the sale of this first crate, ZON has kicked off the 2024 asparagus season. This Dutch cooperative is also generically partnering with the Dutch Asparagus Centre Foundation. This year, another exciting campaign is planned to inspire consumers to get creative with asparagus.
How will the season start?
Asparagus should now start trickling in. Some growers heated their fields (with or without tunnels) by placing warm hoses under the asparagus beds, bringing the first asparagus to market earlier. Other growers cultivate asparagus in greenhouses. Most asparagus production is still done outside, though, and for those, consumers must wait until April. For Easter, the expectation is that only heated asparagus will be available, which will significantly increase the price.
For general asparagus sales, greenhouse asparagus is greatly beneficial. Open-field production yields considerable quantities quickly, and thanks to greenhouse asparagus, buyers can be warmed in advance, so demand soon becomes large enough.
For more information:
ZON
102 Venrayseweg
5928 RH, Venlo, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 773 239 999
info@royalzon.com
www.royalzon.com