In Russia, asparagus is only becoming popular among wealthy consumers and retail prices for it are relatively high, at $10 to $15. Consumers in the EU generally pay two to three times less. However, over the past five years, several relatively large commercial asparagus producers have emerged in Russia as well.
The ” Asparagus Valley” company from North Ossetia calls itself the largest producer of asparagus in Russia. It plans to harvest about 120 tons of fresh asparagus in 2021. According to other sources, asparagus area in the company has already been increased to 70 hectares and is planned to double, while developing a nursery for growing asparagus rhizomes to sale to other producers. The Republic of North Ossetia announced that the area cultivated with asparagus in the region will increase to 600 hectares in the future, but these statements are made by officials ignoring the realities of the market and technological peculiarities of the establishment and development of asparagus business.
The area cultivated with asparagus at the Russian Asparagus Valley has increased by about 35 hectares in three years, i.e., the company plants 10-15 hectares of asparagus annually and has good prospects in this business. Asparagus Valley grows exclusively Dutch varieties of this perennial crop, offering three types of asparagus: green, white and purple.
EastFruit also found many small, semi-commercial asparagus plantations, usually near large Russian cities. Also, asparagus is not really an exotic crop for Russia. It is believed that before the Bolshevik revolution, asparagus was cultivated here on thousands of hectares and was even actively exported to Europe.
