Asparagus Production Technical Assistance

The program has five components: linking products and farmers with markets, diversifying and increasing agricultural products, improving food quality and safety, increasing affordable and accessible credits, and improving coordination within the agriculture sector. Asparagus is a crop that fits the program's profile and goals, offering an opportunity to diversify the current production scheme in Kosovo and bring in a new crop with potential for domestic and export markets. The crop is generally suited to Mediterranean climates, but farmers around the world have adapted it to fit their own environments. Kosovo farmers have an advantage in that the regional climate is more similar to the Mediterranean climate but cooler, driving asparagus production towards the end of the regional season. The program has worked with three greenhouse nurseries to produce approximately 90,000 asparagus crowns to be planted on three hectares in the spring and summer of 2012. Six growing sites around the country with suitable soils have been identified for planting the first crop. However, the suitability of asparagus to Kosovo's climate comes into question, especially after the 2012 heavy winter with accumulations of up to four feet of snow on the ground throughout the country. The technical support group of the New Opportunities for Agriculture program is gaining knowledge about asparagus as a crop and about the production practices. The project is at a critical juncture in its progress, with sufficient amounts of crowns for planting and growers highly motivated and interested in planting as soon as possible. However, delays due to rainy weather have pushed back initial land preparations and weed control operations, and the installation of drip irrigation systems. Soil analysis for the six selected sites has determined that all sites meet the criteria for suitable soil texture, with two sites having sandy loam soils, two sites having loam soils, and two sites having clay loam soils. Drainage at the two sites visited had no standing water despite receiving daily rains. Three nurseries were contracted by Kosovo NOA to grow asparagus seedlings, which are in excellent condition with adequate size, swelling buds, and clean and healthy roots. A local agriculture material supplier was visited, and the amount of materials available that are approved for asparagus are limited. Drip irrigation supplies are in good supply, with the Euro Drip brand hose and accessories being of better quality. Fertilizer materials are limited, but sources of soluble fertilizers for drip irrigation injection are available. A training session was conducted on asparagus crown planting at the farm of Hivzi Aliu, and the soil dried out enough to be able to get a tractor into the field and rotovate it.