A handful of asparagus growers expressed their concerns on Friday in the Provinciehuis in Den Bosch about the future of the asparagus. The cultivation of their white gold is under pressure, partly due to climate change and the increase in the groundwater level. As a result, it is expected that the price of asparagus will rise in the store, just like many other foods. “Enjoy it as long as it is possible,” is the motto of the activists.
“The white gold”, “The pearl of the land” or “the queen of the vegetables.” They are some names for the delicacy. Every year the cultivation of the vegetables is a culinary and cultural highlight in the spring. Certainly also in Brabant, where a lot of asparagus is grown. But Asperburen feel the pressure from all sides and are worried about their future.
They could not be found on the field on Friday, but in the provincial government house in Den Bosch. On the spot where States members can normally get their cup of coffee and piece of fruit, there was now a stall where a chef served asparagus. On the menu three types: the well-known white from Brabant, green ‘flying shame’ asparagus from Peru and an ‘asparagus’ from a mold made from cauliflower.
The farmers want to make their worries clear in this way. Asparagus grow well on Brabant sandy soils, but the cultivation is under pressure due to climate change and the increase in the groundwater level.
With the action, the farmers want to let farmers know in a playful and friendly way that the future of the asparagus in Brabant is at stake. “Can people from Brabant still pay a kilo of asparagus, or will it only be a vegetable for the Brabander with a well -filled wallet?” They wonder.
