Kranuan: Asparagus from Kranuan is selling well, generating 1,000 baht in daily income and pushing high-value agricultural products towards the export market. Farmers in Kranuan District, Khon Kaen Province, are cultivating asparagus on a 4-rai (approximately 1.6-acre) plot of land, earning an average of 1,000 baht per day. Their produce is supplied to factories for export to Japan. Meanwhile, the Kranuan District Agricultural Office is pushing to promote asparagus as a high-value agricultural product, generating over 50 million baht in annual income for the community.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Wannee Phungamngern, owner of an asparagus farm in Kranuan District, Khon Kaen Province, revealed that she currently cultivates asparagus on a 4-rai (approximately 1.6-acre) plot. She sorts her produce into four grades, from A to C, for delivery to the large-scale asparagus farming group in Hua Kham Subdistrict, which then sends it to factories for export to Taiwan and Japan. Grade D asparagus, which is not sent to the group, is sold directly from the farm at two prices: 50 baht per bundle and 100 baht per kilogram.
Ms. Wannee stated that asparagus harvesting must be done in the early morning to obtain spears with a beautiful appearance and good quality. Currently, she earns an average of approximately 1,000 baht per day by supplying an average of 20 kilograms of produce daily to the large-scale farming group at a minimum price of 60 baht per kilogram. Asparagus grown in Kranuan District is known for its sweet, crispy, and delicious taste, making it popular with consumers. It is often used in a variety of dishes, especially stir-fried asparagus with shrimp.
The farm owner also stated that growing asparagus takes about 6 months from planting to harvesting, and after that, it can be harvested continuously for up to 7 years if the plot is managed well. The main obstacle is fungal problems during the rainy season, which require close monitoring.
The Kranuan District Agricultural Office in Khon Kaen Province has been promoting asparagus as an agricultural product under the "One Locality, One High-Value Agricultural Product" concept to increase the value of agricultural produce in the province. In particular, the large-scale asparagus farming group in Hua Kham Subdistrict, Kranuan District, Khon Kaen Province, generates more than 50 million baht in annual income for the community. It is considered an important cash crop that provides a stable income for farmers in the area.