"We’ve already been asked when we can start shipping white asparagus to Germany"

The white asparagus season is slowly getting underway in the Spanish province of Navarre, where the growing company Vegetales Alto Ebro has already started harvesting the first asparagus of the season. "We have already harvested around 20 kilos and from now on volumes will start to increase," says Javier Ortún Pérez, from Vegetales Alto Ebro.

"This season we are expecting a harvest in line with last year's, and with the best quality, which is what makes our fresh asparagus eligible for certification under the PGI Espárragos de Navarra."

Navarrese asparagus bearing this seal, which guarantees their outstanding quality, is highly appreciated in all market segments. "Our business is focused on the catering sector, although we also sell directly to private individuals via our website and we sell to Spanish fresh produce markets such as Mercamadrid, Mercabarcelona, and Mercabilbao. Also, last year we shipped some exports to Germany, with very positive results, and this year we hope to continue working with the German market, and we also plan to increase the volumes to be exported. In fact, we've already been approached to ask when we can start shipping."

Navarre currently has around 1,900 hectares devoted to asparagus. This makes it the largest asparagus-growing region in the northern half of the Iberian Peninsula, second only to Granada, and the largest one specializing in white asparagus. "Moreover, this is a crop with an upward trend in the region," says Javier. "After the boom experienced 6-8 years ago, which led to supply growing too quickly and slightly slowed down expansion, we are again starting to see new hectares, which indicates that demand for our asparagus is also growing."

Milagro cherries
© Vegetales Alto EbroVegetales Alto Ebro is a family company located in the Navarrese municipality of Milagro, a few kilometers from the border with La Rioja, where, as in Aragon, various municipalities are covered by the PGI Espárragos de Navarra.

"We are part of a family that has been involved in agriculture for generations. My grandparents, from La Rioja, devoted their whole lives to growing grapes and producing wine, and my parents, who moved to Milagro, launched a cherry cultivation project," says Javier.

"Around the time when my brother and I started working in the family business, back in 2017, we decided to expand and diversify the crops, planting also artichoke, tomatoes, broccoli, and white asparagus."

"However, cherries remain very important to us, and we are very proud that their quality has been officially recognized. This will be the first season in which our cherries will be marketed jointly with the Reyno Gourmet seal and the collective brand Cerezas de Milagro."

"We are currently very excited about starting a new white asparagus campaign, and around May 15 we'll start with the Milagro cherry campaign with even more excitement if that's even possible."

© Vegetales Alto EbroFor more information:Vegetales Alto Ebro
Crta. Valtierra - San Adrián s/n - 31320 - Milagro, Navarra. Spain
Tel.: +34 695 55 60 28
info@vegetalesaltoebro.com
https://vegetalesaltoebro.com