With St. John's Day on June 24, the asparagus season traditionally comes to an end. The 2025 season got off to a slow start due to weather conditions, and there were no prolonged heat waves, so there were no long periods of supply and price pressure. Supply and demand were largely in balance. According to AMI, wholesale prices were mostly above the previous year's level, while consumer prices remained stable for the most part, only slightly exceeding the previous year's level at the beginning and end of the season. Special offers in food retail stores led to low consumer prices in some weeks.
Lower Saxony: Modest harvest, good quality
The preliminary assessment by growers in Lower Saxony is positive. "The season and harvest are very labor-intensive, but we had a relatively quiet season," says Nils Kraushaar, asparagus cultivation consultant at the Chamber of Agriculture in Hanover. Due to the cool weather, the harvest in the north was rather poor. However, according to experts, the drought did not affect asparagus as much as other plants because it grows under plastic sheeting on the ground. Kraushaar said that the popular vegetable was able to be grown in good quality.
Brandenburg: Good sales at Easter and Pentecost
The Spargelverein Beelitz, located in Brandenburg's largest growing region, is satisfied with the business. However, the companies are concerned about a looming cost increase, considering the debate on raising the minimum wage to EUR 15. The chairman, Jürgen Jakobs, told the dpa: "It has been a good season." A kilo of good-quality asparagus was available for EUR 10 to 12, which encouraged consumers to buy. The vegetable was particularly popular at Easter and Pentecost, according to reports.
A total of 20,200 tons of asparagus were harvested in Brandenburg last year – 2,000 tons less than in the previous year, according to the Berlin-Brandenburg Statistics Office.
Baden-Württemberg: decline in cultivation areas feared
"Thanks to the sun and consistent weather, we had a good season," reports Simon Schumacher, managing director of the VSSE. However, this asparagus season has also been marked by a decline in cultivation areas. Due to the high costs of asparagus cultivation, more and more farms are giving up asparagus cultivation, reports Schumacher. Despite the positive results for the season, the VSSE is concerned about the coming years. The association says it is looking with concern at the upcoming minimum wage increase in 2026. Schumacher fears a further decline in cultivation areas.
North Rhine-Westphalia: Positive mood among producers
Farmer Claudia Bleckmann from Werne draws a positive conclusion from the season: "Thanks to the mild spring, we were able to start harvesting early and offer our customers fresh, regional asparagus of the highest quality for many weeks. Demand was good, the mood on the farm was positive, and the weather was mostly favorable. We would like to thank all our loyal customers for their visits, the nice conversations, and their appreciation of our work. Now our fields and our team are recharging their batteries for the next season – we look forward to seeing you again in spring 2026."
Saxony-Anhalt: Slight decline in harvest, good sales
The asparagus season is coming to an end, and the farmers' association in Saxony-Anhalt is giving an initial positive assessment. Although the nights in spring were a little too cool, less asparagus was harvested than in previous years. However, it was of good quality and sold well at market stalls and farm shops.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Average yields, good quality
The season's results for asparagus farmers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are mixed. "Yields were average, quality was good," said Rolf Hornig, managing director of the Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association, when asked by the German Press Agency (dpa). The harvest of the "white gold" began under plastic sheeting at the end of March, and by Easter, all farms were ready to harvest.
Rhineland-Palatinate: Supply and demand in balance
According to the Rhineland-Palatinate South Farmers' and Winegrowers' Association, this year's asparagus season has been satisfactory overall for most farms, a spokesperson for the association in Mainz told the German Press Agency. Due to the late Easter date of April 20/21, the season got off to a somewhat slow start, and the peaks in demand were shifted. "But overall, supply and demand were well-balanced, resulting in a typical price trend," the spokesperson explained. "The highest prices were seen at the beginning of the season for the still low harvest volumes, which were achieved with a lot of effort, followed by falling prices as supply increased and then rising prices again at the end of the season."
Hesse: "The weather was right"
Farmers in Hesse expect a good asparagus harvest this year. "There was no market glut and the weather was right," said the Hesse Farmers' Association in a preliminary assessment in response to an inquiry from the German Press Agency. Prices remained stable compared to last year. Cost increases, for example, due to the rising minimum wage, were difficult to pass on. Overall, the premium vegetable was well received. The strawberry and cherry harvests are also proceeding well for the most part.
Saxony: "Lush asparagus with good flavor"
Despite a late start, the season has gone well for Saxony's asparagus farmers this year. "The weather was good, demand was strong, and the quality was very good," summarized Jürgen Schulze from the Association of East German Asparagus and Berry Fruit Growers (Vosba). Although the season started a little later than last year, the harvest was generally satisfactory. It is still too early to say anything about the harvest volume.
"We started a week later than usual, which was relatively unusual," said René Heidig from the Nieschützer Spargelhof in the Elbe Valley (Meissen district). However, the weather then ensured good quality with consistently cool nights and sunny days. The result: "Lush asparagus with a good flavor."
Bavaria: "A little more rain would have been nice"
The asparagus season in Bavaria was rated as mostly positive this year. Most producers were satisfied with the harvest results. Plenty of sun and a little too little rain resulted in an average harvest. The whole of Bavaria enjoyed a sunny and warm spring. This is not only good for people, but also for asparagus, which thrives on plenty of light and warmth in the soil. "A little more rain would have been nice," said Miriam Adel, chairwoman of the Franconian Asparagus Producers' Association, adding that yields were average in the end. However, these were sufficient to meet the slightly declining demand. Loyal customers returned regularly to farm shops and asparagus stands this year, with only retail demand fluctuating and tending to be slightly lower.
Thuringia: "We have adapted to the marketing opportunities"
Thuringia's growers are not euphoric, but they are not negative either. "It wasn't a great year, but it wasn't a bad year either. It was okay," said Jan Niclas Imholze, managing director of the Kutzleben asparagus farm, when asked. "We sold everything. Other farms expressed similar sentiments. In Kutzleben, eight to nine tons of the spring vegetables were harvested per hectare, as targeted. After years of reduced acreage, it has stabilized at around 120 hectares in Kutzleben, Imholze said. At peak times, the farm had grown as much as 220 hectares of asparagus. "We have adapted to the marketing opportunities. We don't have the staff."
According to figures from the Thuringian State Office for Statistics, around 1,678 tons of asparagus were harvested last year. The harvested area amounted to 239 hectares. A total of around a dozen farms produce asparagus in Thuringia.