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Peru increases its asparagus market share

By
Tim Linden

Though imported asparagus sales in the United States dropped off by 13 percent in 2022, asparagus from Peru only declined 5 percent, effectively increasing its import market share by a few percentage points.

This was one of the takeaways the Peruvian Asparagus Importers Association revealed in its 2022-23 category management plan, which is prepared by the group for retailers, importers and industry members at large.

In 2022, about 580 million pounds of fresh asparagus was imported into the United States with Peru accounting for 214 million pounds or about 37 percent of the total. In 2021, the U.S. market imported about 665 million pounds, with Peru garnering a 34 percent market share, with its 225 million pounds.

Though there was a decline in overall imported asparagus consumption in 2022, the report notes that fresh asparagus continues to be an important vegetable with consistent U.S. per capita consumption increases. Final figures are not yet available for 2022, but 2021 marked the seventh straight year of an increase in per capita consumption of fresh asparagus, with that number almost reaching two pounds per person.

The report lists key buying trends for fresh asparagus and noted that households with no kids are more likely to purchase the product than those with kids by a significant margin. Approximately 28 percent of no kid households purchase asparagus compared to 22 percent of households with kids.

Another key trend concerns the age of purchasers of the product. As one ages, the likelihood continues to climb. Only 18 percent of consumers in the 18-29 age group purchase asparagus compared to 33 percent who are 60 or older.

Ethnicity is another differentiator. A full 45 percent of shoppers who identify as Asian purchase asparagus. No other ethnic group comes close to that figure with Caucasians coming in a distant second at 27 percent.

Likelihood of purchase also increases based on household income. About 31 percent of consumers who report an income of more than $100,000 purchase asparagus while only 20 percent of those who make less than $25,000 per year are buyers of the relatively expensive vegetable.

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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