Asparagus madness: Farmers let the harvest drive out – “You should be ashamed”

Created: 06/17/2022, 04:49 am

By: Jason Blaschke

The asparagus farmers in southern Germany are hitting the low demand with full force.

The need is so great that some of the harvest is even destroyed.

Stuttgart – Consumers in Germany are feeling the effects of the Ukraine war with full force.

The costs of energy and fuel have only known one direction for weeks and many everyday products are also significantly more expensive in retail compared to 2021.

A prominent example is the expensive and scarce edible oil, which was the first everyday food to be affected by price increases and supply bottlenecks right at the beginning of the struggle.

Asparagus and strawberries are currently cheap: Industry insiders give specific figures

In the meantime, the expensive trend can be seen in almost all food groups.

However, the prices for grain products are currently having a particularly strong impact.

"In view of the cost situation and the price increases in all relevant areas, further price increases are likely," explained Anne-Kristin Barth from the Association of Grain, Milling and Starch Industries (VGMS) in an interview with BW24 on the approaching price increases for grain products such as flour .

In contrast, there are also a few foods that have actually fallen in price.

The 14 foods that are currently extremely cheap include some types of fruit and vegetables - such as strawberries or asparagus.

"Asparagus costs about 20 percent less than in 2021," says Frank Saalfeld, Managing Director of the network of asparagus and berry associations, in an interview with BW24.

Expert sees the existence of asparagus threatened: "Companies are thinking about giving up"

On the one hand, the continuingly expensive energy and raw material prices are causing problems for the agricultural sector, but on the other hand there are also the approaching additional financial burdens - such as the minimum wage.

"The increase to 12 euros was decided in the Bundestag when companies destroyed strawberries before the harvest and asparagus was driven out in the field," explains Saalfeld.

When asked by BW24, the state association for commercial fruit growing confirmed that strawberries are also being destroyed in Baden-Württemberg.

Similar to the current asparagus case, the strawberry producers cannot keep up with cheap foreign prices, which has serious consequences for the state of Baden-Württemberg.

"Some companies are thinking about giving up production," says Saalfeld.

Many users on Facebook find it even worse that actually fresh products are no longer harvested or even destroyed.

"You should be ashamed of that," writes an outraged user.

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Another adds: “The panels in our country would be happy.

It's sad that food is being destroyed.” BW24 wanted to know from Saalfeld why things were being handled that way.

The expert: "Expelling does not mean destroying." Rather, the asparagus is not harvested, which favors growth in the coming year.

Only the amount of asparagus that is not taken by retailers in Germany actually ends up in the garbage.

Saalfeld to BW24: "The cultivation, maintenance and care of asparagus costs a lot of money." If the companies were to simply donate the amounts, they would even make losses.

"The panels get what is left over from the trade." But he also knows of cases in which asparagus farmers have donated their harvest.

But small and medium-sized companies in particular cannot operate in this way in the long term.

Food will be distributed at one location of the board.

On Facebook, many users complain that fresh food such as asparagus is instead being dumped in the garbage – although the Tafel are grateful for every donation right now.

© Nicolas Armer/dpa

Agricultural industry calls for help: insiders are already talking about "import tax"

Just like the strawberry producers, the asparagus network is therefore demanding political help.

Freezing the minimum wage for companies until the end of the extraordinary inflationary phase would help, according to a statement from the network.

In addition, the asparagus producers are calling for “publicly funded advertising for regional products” in order to make consumers more aware of local foods.

Franz Josef Müller, President of the State Association of Commercial Fruit Growers in Baden-Württemberg, goes one step further in an interview with BW24.

He brings up the idea of ​​an “import tax”.

The basic idea is to tax foreign cheap fruit more heavily so that regional products can compete in price again.

"That would be a fast-acting measure." At least the users on Facebook don't seem to be completely convinced.

Facebook user outraged by asparagus destruction – "don't begrudge anyone"

For example, one user writes to farmers: "Before people can eat it cheaper and earn less, they'd rather let it rot in the ground and don't begrudge anyone it." A view that Saalfeld rejects.

In an interview with BW24, he recalls that it takes an average of five years for an asparagus farmer to make a profit with his harvest.

The smaller farms in particular are not in a position to give away harvests.