State's asparagus industry struggling

Automation, reinvention essential to survival

Things are not exactly looking up for Washington asparagus.

"I think it's fair to say that the asparagus industry in the state is in some trouble," said Alan Schreiber, executive director of the Washington Asparagus Commission.

There are two reasons for the problems, including high minimum wage, Schreiber said.

"We have the highest ag labor costs in the Western Hemisphere, and at the same time, our government gives trade preferences to our primary foreign competitor, which is Peru," he said, adding that those trade preferences have resulted in a flood of cheap asparagus in the market.

The Asparagus Commission met in November to discuss making asparagus grading a voluntary process, in order to ship asparagus out of state in fresh-pack containers.

"That allowed some asparagus to be sold that didn't have a home at the time, so that helped shore up the price," Schreiber said. "It did help some, but not enough. We are still losing the market share to Peru because their labor is cheaper than ours, and the trade preferences our government gives Peru allows them to flood the market."

Schreiber said that the Commission would like to have asparagus exempted from the Andean Trade Preferences Act, and to have the index minimum wage reformed.

"We think that's going to be an uphill battle, and would like to have assistance from state and federal government to help us automate our industry," he said. "Eighty percent of our variable cost of production is associated with labor. If we could automate, that would lower cost of production."

Schreiber said that Washington asparagus is a $100 million industry. It consists of 275 growers, one canner, two picklers, one freezer and two fresh handlers, employing about 5,000 to 6,000 jobs, 90 percent of which are seasonal.

He said that the industry is receiving some money from the state.

The Port of Moses Lake recently sent a letter supporting legislation to fund development of automated equipment in the industry to key individuals in support of the Asparagus Commission.

"There have been news stories earlier in the year … that they just can't afford to compete here," said Port commissioner Kent Jones.

Jones said that he hates to see the government subsidize any business, but if the farmers are going to survive, they have to find a way to compete.

"As I understand that information from the Asparagus Commission, I look at this more as an investment in the future," Jones said. "If they develop this automated equipment, then the farmers of this area and other areas would have another alternative crop that they can put in."

"If we can get federal funding, I think we've got a future, but the jury's still out," Schreiber said. "If the Washington asparagus industry is going to survive, it will have to reinvent itself. It will require development of a mechanical asparagus harvester and automation of the post-harvest fresh and processed industries."