Thuringian asparagus season 2025: best seller despite a mediocre year!

Thuringian asparagus season 2025: best seller despite a mediocre year!

The Thuringian asparagus season 2025 is officially over, and farmers can look back on a mixed harvest. “It wasn't a great year, but it wasn't a bad year either,” says Jan Niclas Imholze, managing director of Spargelhof Kutzleben, describing the situation. In Kutzleben, the growers have sold their entire harvest, which is a reason to be happy for many. With a yield of 8 to 9 tons of asparagus per hectare, the orange of the asparagus harvest, which traditionally ends on June 24th (St. John's Day) towards the end of the season, is stable and satisfactory.

Asparagus was grown locally on around 120 hectares, a positive development after years of decline. But the challenges remain: problems with the asparagus fly, pest infestation and the loss of important EU active ingredients are affecting farmers. Marketing takes place primarily through sales associations and supermarkets, and direct marketing through regional providers is also becoming increasingly important. More and more consumers are showing interest in buying asparagus directly from the producer in order to enjoy the quality and freshness of Thuringian products.

A look at Thuringia

Thuringia has established itself as a reliable growing area for asparagus. In 2025, the cultivated areas totaled 306 hectares, and the federal state continues to hold a stable share of 1% of German asparagus yield areas. The main growing areas, such as the Unstrut-Hainich district, benefit from fertile loess soils, which promote the high quality and intense aroma of asparagus.

The harvest here in the southeast has very special advantages: “We use sustainable cultivation methods that guarantee a high ecological standard,” emphasizes Thuringian Agriculture. Both white asparagus and green asparagus thrive, and modern techniques such as polytunnels extend the season and secure yields. Gastronomy and tourism benefit from this time of year by offering special asparagus dishes and visiting asparagus farmers.

The taste of Thuringia

And what distinguishes fresh Thuringian asparagus? Shiny, plump and crisp bars with a closed head and a firm consistency are characteristic. But harvesting is not an easy matter: the plants usually need 6 to 8 years to develop their full effect. Hand harvesting is the order of the day, and the harvest workers use special asparagus knives. Careful sorting and subsequent cooling to around 2 degrees Celsius are essential to ensure quality through to the consumer.

In Germany, per capita consumption in 2024 was 1.2 kg of fresh asparagus. This suggests healthy demand, which is also continuing to grow in Thuringia, where asparagus is the most important crop in outdoor vegetable cultivation. This is how the final part of the 2025 asparagus season will go down in history books as a time of enjoyment, challenges and hope for a new, even richer season in the coming year.

For the asparagus farms in Thuringia, everyone involved can only hope that the preparations for next year are also promising and that consumers continue to rely on regional asparagus.

Expand your knowledge about the importance of asparagus cultivation in Thuringia and the latest developments on the websites of n-tv, Thuringia's agriculture and Agriculture.de.