ASHS 2025 Conference

Despite an increase in asparagus production in Michigan, which has surpassed California since 2015, national production has declined by 75% since 2000, while imports have surged from 159 million pounds to 580 million pounds. This shift has placed increasing pressure on domestic production, with Michigan growers facing challenges from high labor costs and import competition. By 2022, only 6% of the fresh asparagus supply in the U.S. came from domestic production, with imports accounting for the remaining 94%. As a result, Michigan's asparagus growers are vulnerable to price fluctuations caused by import competition, compounded by a very short six-week harvest season. Consumer demand remains high after the harvest season, driving market prices up by as much as 28% post-harvest, yet growers are unable to capitalize on this price increase. To address these challenges, this study explores the potential of extending the storage life of asparagus, particularly through controlled-atmosphere (CA) storage. This method could help mitigate the impact of price fluctuations on growers' revenues by enabling producers to allocate surplus produce to the market based on demand, while reducing produce losses. A comprehensive bioeconomic model was developed to simulate the economic impact of extending storage. This model integrates yield capacity and annual average costs per acre for Michigan growers, with data derived from interviews and focus groups with local asparagus producers. The model analyzes production costs and yield capacities over a 14-year lifecycle, with peak yields of 5,500 pounds per acre occurring between years 5 and 12. Despite high initial costs, positive net returns are anticipated from years 4 through 12 of the production cycle. The study evaluates four scenarios with varying post-harvest storage durations (i.e., immediate marketing, one-week storage, two-week storage, and three-week storage) and demonstrates that extending storage can capitalize on post-season price increases, thereby enhancing annual revenue, particularly during peak harvesting years. The results suggest that Michigan growers can improve profitability by adopting CA storage for two weeks, aligning storage strategies with market price fluctuations to optimize revenue.