Madam, - I was in Austria recently and gorged myself on continental asparagus at €3.99 per kilo for the white variety, which is the superior kind. The market there is flooded from mid-April to the end of June with EU asparagus.
On coming home I went to Superquinn and found once again only the ubiquitous Peruvian variety at €1.99 per 250 grams, which works out at €8.00 per kilo. I asked the manager why Superquinn does not buy from the EU. He promised he would make enquiries at the Dublin market.
True to his word he rang up the next day and told me that the consumer is guaranteed continuous supplies from Peru and this cannot be guaranteed from the EU. This is, of course, complete nonsense since the market on the continent is awash for three months with asparagus at half the price for the superior white variety than we pay here for green asparagus.
The Irish housewife is once again being ripped off by the suppliers, not to mention the impact on the environment from all the air miles. - Yours, etc,
ANNA MARIA SISK, Seafield Avenue, Monkstown, Co Dublin.