When it comes to Peruvian asparagus, Progressive Produce Corp. and Keystone Fruit Marketing Inc. believe their collaborative efforts offers their customers unmatched service.

For the past six years, Keystone, which is headquartered in Greencastle, PA, and Progressive, which calls Los Angeles its home base, have worked the Peruvian asparagus deal together in a unique partnership. They share an office in Peru, source together and transport the product in tandem to the East and West coasts. They also share information and can service each other’s customers when the need arise.

With the development of its 2012-13 Category Management Plan Outline for Fresh Peruvian Asparagus, the Peruvian Asparagus Importers Association has once again endeavored to jump start the promotion of the crop by retailers and foodservice operators throughout the United States.

Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development for Southern Specialties Inc., conducted this Peruvian asparagus interview while in Monterey, CA, shortly after attending the Produce Marketing Association’s Foodservice Conference.

He said that was an important fact “since we have a significant customer base in the foodservice community for our asparagus. And that part of the business continues to grow.”

The U.S. consumer is partial to green asparagus, largely because of tradition and familiarity, but that hasn’t stopped Gourmet Trading Co. from aggressively merchandising white and purple asparagus alongside the more popular green variety.

The company sources asparagus year round from Peru and actually has both white and green asparagus throughout the year. The purple asparagus has a much more limited production window for the firm.

As Frank Ramos sees it, growth in this economy is a good indicator that business is good.

In 2011, The Perishable Specialist Inc., based in Doral, FL, expanded by adding an accounting wing to its existing building. In 2012, the company added three more people to its staff.

Leo Rolandelli, the longtime produce veteran and president of Jacobs, Malcolm & Burtt, based in San Francisco, predicted in late July that this could be a difficult year for Peruvian asparagus.

A year ago, lower prices ended the Mexican asparagus deal a bit early and caused the Bay Area wholesaler to start importing asparagus from Peru a bit earlier than usual.