In the 1990's per capita consumption of asparagus has averaged 22 percent above the average of the 1980s while use of asparagus for freezing has remained constant during the same period. In 1980, the US imported just 8 percent of fresh asparagus. But by 1996 that share increased to 40 percent. Mexico has been and continues to be the largest source of U.S. imports. Imports usually peak in February, when the supply from Mexico is at its highest level.
Imports drop sharply during the spring as U.S. production picks up.
Most of the domestic production has been in California and Washington. Michigan accounts for about 15 percent of total domestic production and ranks third in US production. Color signals the most tender stalks - the greener the better. Though Hispanics constituted over 11 percent of the population in 1997, this population is projected to increase rapidly between now and 2025, accounting for 25 percent of the growth in the Nation's population. By 2050 the Hispanic population will account for 25 percent of the nation's total population.