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Lange Farms expects more asparagus air shipments

By
Tim Linden

The weather-related decrease in available supplies of Peruvian asparagus should mean an increase in air shipments, according to Lange Farms-Florida Vice President of Sales Tracy Wood.

He reported that while Lange Farms is expecting its Peru asparagus volume to be similar to last year, industry wide volume has decreased. “So far in 2024, production in Peru is down approximately 25 percent versus 2023. At this point we have to expect the volume from Peru to be 15 to 25 percent lower than in 2023,” Wood said, adding that number of air shipments should increase. “In 2023, Peru asparagus volume was down 38 percent and so far in 2024 production in Peru is down approximately 25 percent from 2023.”

He continued: “With the reduced volume, we expect to see an increase in air shipments, particularly in September and December,” he said. “Our mix of air and ocean shipments will be similar to last year with a few more mid-week air shipments as needed to supplement reduced container shipments.”

Wood also stated that growers in Peru are currently gearing up production and opening new fields as winter turns to spring in the Southern Hemisphere. “Harvest for the ‘big season’ will begin over the next few weeks,” he said. “We are expecting promotable supplies by the first or second week of October.”

He revealed that for the Lange company, Peru represents about 50 percent of its annual asparagus supplies with the other 50 percent coming from Mexico.

As noted, weather has been a major factor in decreased supplies. Wood said the greatest impact was experienced in Northern Peru in 2023 with production acreage, volume, and yields affected significantly.

While Wood expects promotional volume to be available from mid-October through mid-December, he said the jury is still out on what will happen later in the season. “There is still a question mark on production and volumes available mid-December through January,” he revealed.

The lower asparagus volume has had a positive impact on logistics. “Currently we are not expecting any interruptions on receiving Peru asparagus into and transporting across the U.S.,” he said, noting that the shipments by air will occur in specific time frames.  “Regarding air shipments, we expect an increase to help supplement reduced container volumes in September, December and January.”

Tim Linden

Tim Linden

About Tim Linden  |  email

Tim Linden grew up in a produce family as both his father and grandfather spent their business careers on the wholesale terminal markets in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Tim graduated from San Diego State University in 1974 with a degree in journalism. Shortly thereafter he began his career at The Packer where he stayed for eight years, leaving in 1983 to join Western Growers as editor of its monthly magazine. In 1986, Tim launched Champ Publishing as an agricultural publishing specialty company.

Today he is a contract publisher for several trade associations and writes extensively on all aspects of the produce business. He began writing for The Produce News in 1997, and currently wears the title of Editor at Large.

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