All the Peruvian importers are singing the same tune about decreased volume this year because of other options for growers. Some growers — just enough to affect volume — have pulled some asparagus acreage in the last couple of years causing supplies to drop and prices to increase.

“I keep preaching the Warren Buffet strategy,” said Jeff Friedman, president and sales manager of Carb/Americas Inc. in Pompano Beach, FL. “If everyone is going left, you should go right.”

In this case, he said that means you should plant acreage rather than remove it. “In two or three years, those who do are going to be ahead of the curve.”

For his investment, Friedman is hedging his bet by diversifying his options. Carb/Americas did that most notably several years ago when it invested in a processing facility in Peru to produce IQF (individually quick frozen) asparagus for the processing side of the business. He said the IQF facility gives the company an outlet when the price on fresh asparagus drops too low or volume is too great for the fresh market.

He said currently Carb/Americas’ asparagus program “is hitting on all strides. We have great diversification.”

The success in building the processing business has also brought its own challenges. Friedman said you have to be true to your customers and as he has built that side of the business up, he has to service those customers even when the fresh price gets very high, as it was in much of July.

Peruvian asparagus represents about 60 percent of the firm’s business, but Carb/Americas is adding other crops and growing regions in its continuing quest to diversify. The firm has asparagus from Mexico at certain times of the year and also is an active participant importing strawberries, mangos, sugar snap peas and snow peas.

Like everyone interviewed, Friedman said the Peruvian asparagus market began its gradual descent in July and that should continue until it hits peak volume sometime in late September. The big question is how far it will drop. Friedman said the f.o.b. market Miami needs to be in the low $20s to generate retail promotional support in the United States. Historically, he said, that price is usually reached in late August.

Because of the decrease in volume and increase in demand, Friedman was not willing to forecast what the market would do this year. In fact, he advocated for letting the market take care of itself rather than being micro-managed from afar. He did say that at retail the price needs to be in the $2.49-per-pound range to generate huge sales gains. “When the retail price gets over $3 per pound, it become a luxury item. People don’t need it.”