Lack of precipitation questions asparagus campaign in Guadalajara province

The green asparagus harvesting campaign in Guadalajara province (Spain) starts with uncertainty for various reasons. One of them is the absence of rainfall, a problem compounded by lack of seasonal workers, scarcity of housing for them to stay, and the low prices paid for the product.

Adolfo López, the president of the Green Asparagus Producers Association of Guadalajara, stresses that there has been almost no rain in winter and spring, and the crop needs moisture in the soil. Although it is still too soon to make predictions given that the harvesting season lasts until the end of June, the sector is concerned due to possible harvest reduction.

While the weather may vary, the real problem is the difficulty in finding labor for harvesting. This is already leading some farmers to replace this crop with others that require fewer workers, such as peas or pistachios.

Some areas such as the Vega del Henares (Fontanar or Yunquera de Henares) have already started harvesting. Current asparagus has smaller caliber and is thinner due to inadequate meteorological conditions, which in turn results in a lower quantity of this crop while the costs remain the same.

The lack of staff is followed by the problem of housing for them. Many farmers are forced to hire workers - mostly foreigners - not based on the labor they need, but when they already have the house rented. 

With all these issues, more and more entrepreneurs do not see future opportunities in asparagus business. Every year, fewer people invest in planting more asparagus fields. In the last 4 years, hectares dedicated to this crop in the province have gone from 800 to less than 500, according to López.