Italy : Confronting both a labour shortage and climate change
Italy’s production covers all three types of Asparagus officinalis: green (70%), white (25%) and purple (5%) asparagus. Green asparagus is grown from north to south in all Italian regions; white asparagus is also widespread, but especially in the north-east of Italy; and purple asparagus crops are found in the northwest, particularly in Liguria.
High-quality white asparagus
In total, asparagus accounts for 8,300 ha of the “Italian boot”. But production is concentrated in Puglia, which grows about 45% of the national total, followed by Veneto with 23%, and Emilia-Romagna, Lazio and Campania with 6% each. The cultivation of asparagus in greenhouses spans about 500 ha, mainly in the Campania region. In 2024, Italy produced around 45,000 tons of asparagus. After averaging out the differences between the production areas in northern and southern Italy – accentuated by the effects of climate change – the national yield is about 5.5 tons/ha. In 2024, Italy was still exporting more asparagus than it imported, sending about 7,850 tons to other markets (mainly green asparagus to Northern Europe) from March to June, but with the majority of exports during March and April. Italy has also found an attractive outlet in Japan for its high-quality white asparagus (e.g. the Asparago Bianco di Bassano PDO). Its imports totalled just 2,650 tons and came mainly from Spain, Peru and Mexico and over February to May, but particularly the latter four months.
Varieties adapted well to different situations
Italy grows many asparagus varieties due to its 1,200-km-long production area. In the south, American F1 varieties such as UC 157, Grande and Atlas predominate, but there are also Dutch varieties such as Starlin, Vegalim and Lunalim, and Italian cultivars such as Italo and Vittorio. In the north, many varieties grown for the production of green asparagus are of Italian origin, for example Athos, Eros, Ercole, Giove, Franco and Vittorio. There is also a significant presence of Dutch hybrids such as Avalim, Grolim, Thielim, Vitalim and Verdus. For the production of white asparagus, Dutch hybrids such as Avalim, Grolim, Prius and Thielim are commonly planted. Italian hybrids such as Giove, Vittorio, Zeno, and the German variety Cumulus, are also used for the production of both white and green asparagus. There are also the French cultivars Darzilla (for green asparagus) and Dariana (for white asparagus). Others have also been reported, as it is always hard to find the varieties that adapt best to different production situations. In the last two years, seeds for Italian and American varieties have been in short supply so there has been some investment in Dutch cultivars instead. Trials seem to show that when grown in Italy, the Dutch varieties deliver excellent productive capacity in the first years of cultivation but this then slows compared to the Italian cultivars which, over time, gain in productivity and display greater longevity.
Need for varieties adapted to climate change
The labour shortage is a key barrier to increasing Italy’s planted area for asparagus. The lack of workers has become a real obstacle to expansion of the crop and is pushing up hourly costs. In general, the production costs of asparagus are also increasing due to rising prices for inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides, and plastic covering materials for white asparagus. At the same time, in recent years a significant reduction in production has been caused by atypical weather characterised by heavy spring rainfall combined with low temperatures. Furthermore, very high summer temperatures have limited the crop’s vegetative development. In 2024, the main region of Puglia suffered more than 14 days of temperatures above 40°C with spikes of up to 45°C. These climate extremes have reduced producers’ incomes. Looking ahead, asparagus growers need research to identify new cultivars that are more resistant to climate change and classic diseases in humid environments in spring, especially in northern Italy, and cultivars that are resistant to drought and high temperatures for southern Italy.
A record in quality seals
Boosting asparagus consumption in Italy is not proving easy. Data from the last 3-4 years shows that only 45% of Italian families eat asparagus at least once a year. The average consumption per consumer family is just 2.7 kg, a total restricted by the high cost of white and green asparagus, which is mainly sold in supermarkets. Unfortunately, asparagus has failed to capture the interest of Italy’s younger generation, who consider it difficult to cook. But a more positive figure for Italian asparagus involves its recognition under the European PDO and PGI quality seals: Italian asparagus has six such recognitions of excellence – a record in Europe! In white asparagus they are the Cimadolmo PGI, Badoere PGI, Cantello PGI, and the Bassano PDO, a consumer favourite, while in green asparagus there’s the Canino PGI and Altedo PGI.
