At the beginning of August after the California, Michigan, Washington, and Chile supply disappears from the market, prices rise again, not as much as in July but about 50 percent above the main season shipping point prices, getting to $5 per kilogram—these weeks in early May can be considered another short seasonal window.
In the average monthly asparagus price evolution graph, we can clearly see a price pattern from January 2011 to April 2017. Every year begins with a high price due to scarcity, then we can see how the price drops every year in March due to high production from Mexico and the United States.
We can also see a clear pattern in the market since 2013; the average annual price has grown about 21 percent from $4.79 per kilogram in 2011 to $5.79 in 2017. In addition, 2015 had a 2 percent higher average price than 2016.
Pricing and Value by Type
Types of asparagus—green, purple, and white—have different values and pricing. The market prices reflected in the included graphs represent nonweighted average prices of the three most traded varieties, in all U.S. terminal markets or shipping points, excluding organic product.
White asparagus has year-round higher pricing, which is matched by green asparagus in the first week of January, the first week of August, and the two last weeks of December.
White asparagus has the most stable price of all the varieties, as its price ranges between $6 and $8 per kilogram in a year. In recent years, however, volatility has increased.
On the other hand, green asparagus has a seasonal price that can reach up to $7 per kilogram the last week of December and the first two weeks of January before Mexico and Central California’s high season begins. The second highest price is in April, when Mexico and Central California high season ends.
In general, organic asparagus enjoys a significant premium over conventional product. Supply comes mainly from California, and at a much lower level from Mexico. The U.S. markets most active in buying organic asparagus are Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco; the most traded organic asparagus is green.
The average monthly price evolution of organic asparagus shows a decrease in price from 2014 to 2016 of 11 percent, but a rise in pricing from January to April 2017 of 25 percent. This is mostly due to demand for organic white asparagus from Peru and purple asparagus from California. The main difference in the market is higher pricing during September and October, different than conventional asparagus, which has its best pricing in December and January.
