NOGALES, AZ — Bob Shipley, founder of Shipley Sales LLC in Nogales, has exported Mexican-grown asparagus to northern neighbors more than 20 years. In Caborca, Sonora, he has been an asparagus grower for as long as 15 years. He explained that the tomatoes and vegetables that account for the vast preponderance of Nogales’ volume are shipped in mixed loads with reefer trailers set in the range of 40-50 degrees.Reed Shipley, a salesman for Shipley Sales LLC in Nogales, AZ, with his father, Bob Shipley, who founded the company.

Asparagus needs to be shipped at 36 degrees and “there are not too many cold trucks” leaving Nogales to suit that temperature.

For this logistical reason, the Mexican asparagus deal has generally not flowed through Nogales. But this spring, several Nogales produce distributors are handling asparagus.

Much of the asparagus is grown in a wide area around Caborca, which is 100 miles to the west-southwest of Nogales. Northwest of Caborca are Mexicali and San Luis, which are near the leafy greens production of Yuma, AZ, and El Centro, CA.

Those thousands of leafy green trailers roll to market with temperatures that are ideal for asparagus. Because of the cost of California labor, El Centro’s asparagus volume has mostly moved south across the border, according to Shipley.

It happens that this season other Nogales companies are becoming involved, although all agree there is a challenge with a poor-yielding Mexican asparagus crop.

Up and down field temperatures starting in December seemed to throw the spear production out of whack.

Shipley said one theory on low asparagus production is that this season some growers burned off the cut ferns too early, preventing normal growth and dormancy.

Whatever the cause, the Mexican growers in that region are harvesting between half or as little as one-third of a regular crop.

Shipley said the northern Mexico asparagus deal usually starts in January, “but this year there was not much until the end of January. Some growers say it will catch up in March, but maybe that is wishful thinking. I don’t know how miracle tonnage can happen this late. March is the last big month for Mexico.”

There is some production in early April, he added, and “with Easter on April 5 this year, the growers should expect to enjoy a good Easter market. With reduced supplies, though, this year apparently won’t have sufficient volume for Easter ads.”

In late February, the asparagus market was in the mid- to high $30s for the 28-pound pack.