He noted that the company leans heavily toward the foodservice arena, which helps explain the attraction of the large sized asparagus spears. They make a great plate presentation and chefs love to use them. But Auerbach added that the company serves a multi-faceted list of customers including chain stores, foodservice operators and wholesalers. He said across the board, the jumbo asparagus seems to be preferred.
That’s not a great situation currently as Auerbach said small and standard size asparagus spears are dominating Peru’s imports in this early part of the season as supplies ramp up for the heavy October to December holiday sales period.
The company sources asparagus from both Peru and Mexico, but Auerbach said Peru’s year-round production makes it ideal for his business. “Normally, Peru goes all the time, which is good for us and our customers,” he said.
But Auerbach admitted that last year was challenging, as weather-related issues cut supplies. “Hopefully, this will be a better season,” he stated.
For the Auerbach company, asparagus is one of its key commodities, though garlic is top dog. Shallots and ginger roots are also big sellers for the company, which is located in Northern New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan. “There is not too much new for us,” said Auerbach. “We are pretty much the same as we have been although every year it gets more challenging.”
He mentioned regulations, taxes and fewer customers due to consolidation as some of the hurdles they face every year to an increasing degree.
But he did say that his foodservice business is back to pre-COVID levels, though some areas are not quite there yet. “From our viewpoint, I think it has recovered,” he said, adding that peeled garlic is his number one foodservice item. There was a time when Maurice A. Auerbach would also sell a fair number of whole garlic packs to restaurant operators, but he said that’s no longer case, with high restaurant labor costs being the reason.
Turning his attention back to the Peruvian asparagus industry, Auerbach is watching the effort to eliminate mandatory fumigation with obvious interest. He said it will be great for the product as the process of fumigation does not enhance quality or shelf life. But he also articulated a challenge that several others also talked about. “It is going to change how we operate,” he said. “It’s going to introduce more variables.”
Auerbach explained that the current system runs like clockwork as it has been in place for so long that there is a very efficient routine followed. When a container is unloaded from a ship, it immediately goes to a fumigation facility where it is treated and then released. When mandatory fumigation is eliminated, an extra step will be added that involves inspecting that container to determine if it needs fumigation. As Auerbach said that will add another variable that will impact the flow of product from the ports to being put in commerce.
