Greenhouse asparagus cultivation in Lianshui County, Jiangsu Province, China, covers more than 1,333 hectares, with annual harvests of 50,000 tons valued at over 1 billion yuan (US$150 million). The county accounts for approximately 30 per cent of China's greenhouse-grown asparagus output.
Much of Lianshui's white asparagus is exported to Japan, South Korea, and Europe. Greenhouse cultivation protects crops from rainfall and typhoons while extending the harvest season from spring through autumn.
Meanwhile, researchers at the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences have introduced robots designed for asparagus harvesting, transportation, and sorting.
According to Xia Xianfei of the Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanisation, China's asparagus mechanization rate remains below 20 per cent. Harvesting and post-harvest sorting remain constraints, despite partial mechanization of fertilization, crop protection, and weeding.
China's annual asparagus harvest reaches 1.2 million tons. In 2024, exports of preserved asparagus totaled 34,773 tons, representing approximately 47 per cent of global export volumes.
Lianshui grower Zheng Biao reported domestic asparagus prices of around 10 yuan (US$1.49) per kg.
Researchers identified equipment costs and adaptability to different growing conditions as barriers to wider commercial adoption of harvesting robots.
Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
