Asparagus in Charts: Mexico sees eight weeks of high prices

Asparagus is a curious vegetable. Generally regarded to have been a part of the human diet for the last 2000 years, it seems to surface through archaeological artifacts among the Egyptian culture. Having been known to have been a part of the Roman diet and feasted upon the European nobility, it makes its way to the Americas in the mid-1800s.

Today asparagus is one of the fastest-growing categories we track, expanding 29% in the last four years from 192M Kilos to 250M Kg per year, mostly on the backs of Mexico and Peru.

The last two months, however, have seen Mexican asparagus stand out, offering a strong premium over Peru.

Non-Organic Asparagus Prices per Kilo by Origin

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can
view this chart with live updates here)

These volumes come in the low season, on the shoulders of the main part of Mexico's season. That corresponds to the production season of Guanajuato.

Historic Mexico Non-Organic Asparagus Volumes

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can
view this chart with live updates here)

Mexico is the US' largest supplier and the main driver of a rise in volumes in the market. It held 59% of the market in 2018.

Not to say that Peru isn’t playing an important role. The Andean country accounted for 34% of the market in 2018, leaving only 7% of the market to other origins.

Non-Organic Asparagus Volumes

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can
view this chart with live updates here)

Asparagus prices are some of the most volatile that we track. Below are the monthly averages reported by the USDA.

There is some semblance of a pattern here, but there are frequent price spike or dips. This keeps market observers and us analysts on our toes. The need for the industry to keep an eye on the volatility of these prices is also one of the reasons that asparagus is currently the only vegetable we track.

Historic Mexico Non-Organic Asparagus Prices per Kilo

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can
view this chart with live updates here)

Written by: Colin Fain
Original published in FreshFruitPortal.com on September 03, 2019 (Link)

Agronometrics in Charts: Demand for berries skyrockets in 2021

This time for the ‘In Charts’ series we will give an update as to how the average prices of berries have been behaving. Specifically, we will look at the prices of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries in the United States market and compare them with previous seasons. An increase in demand, brought on by the tendency to consume “superfoods” such as berries during the Covid-19 pandemic, seem to have pushed prices up despite the fact that volumes imported by the United States have been similar or higher than those of previous years. Let's look at each particular case: Blueberries Blueberry prices experienced a significant increase from week 3 of 2021, showing the highest prices of the last 5 seasons for the same date. If we observe the following chart, we can see that, for week 7 of 2021, the average price of conventional blueberries was $7.60 per kilo. This is 24 percent higher than in 2020 when the average price was $6.14 per kilo. Volumes for blueberr

Peru's blueberry oversupply takes its toll on export price

Overview of the Peruvian blueberry season, complemented by charts from Agronometrics. Original published in FreshPlaza.com on November 25, 2020 This year's Peruvian blueberry season began in June with the export of 1,010 tons worth 5 million dollars. These figures represented a 25% increase in volume and a 77% increase in value over the same month of 2019. The lower production in the northern hemisphere due to weather problems allowed producers to achieve attractive prices of $ 5.15 per kilogram in June. Volume (in Kg) of blueberry from Perú in the US market Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics . (Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here ) The good reception of Peruvian blueberries and the increase in prices encouraged exports during July, a month in which the country shipped 4,808 tons (+ 108%) for 26 million dollars (+ 102%). In this month, the increase in the Peruvian supply generated a slight 3% fall in the typical prices of the month,

Agronometrics in Charts: Berry prices in the U.S. market

This week we're going to check out how prices of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries have been behaving in the U.S. market compared to previous seasons. Blueberries Let's start with blueberries, which over recent weeks have seen similar prices to 2019, although they have improved somewhat over the last two weeks. Looking at the chart below, we can see that in week 42, the average price of conventional blueberries was US$9.07 per kilo, which is 8% higher than in 2019. Volumes are coming from Mexico and Peru. Prices of non-organic blueberries in the U.S. market (USD per kilo) Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics . (Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here ) Raspberries Raspberries meanwhile have throughout this year experience sharp peaks and valleys, although in recent weeks prices have tended to stabilize. As can be seen in the chart below, in week 42 prices were US$8.39 per kilo, which is 18% up on 2019. The U.S

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