Altar Produce: The Asparagus Leader with the Recipe for Growth

Mention the name “Altar Produce” and to many in the produce industry, it will instantly bring to mind “asparagus.” As a company, Altar has produced and marketed asparagus for over 30 years, gaining recognition not just for its quality and service levels, but also as the biggest grower of asparagus worldwide with more than 25,000 acres of production in Mexico.

The family-owned business, which has been in operation since 1998, runs main offices in Calexico and San Diego, CA, and Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Altar’s roots can be traced even deeper. Although headquartered in the U.S, the first iteration of the business took shape with just 20 acres of land in Mexico in 1955. Decades since have witnessed enormous expansion, and the business now includes production sites across Mexico including Baja California; Baja California Sur; Sonora; Sinaloa and Central Mexico.

Looking back on the past 12 months, Soraya Pesqueira, General Manager of Altar and a highly experienced grower, acknowledges that while there were challenges, the overall experience was highly positive. “Despite the fact that the winter season in Caborca, Sonora is marked by high volumes over a short period of time, we have been able to diversify our product portfolio and exports to more than 25 countries,” she says.

“In addition to expanding our production across Mexico, our strategic alliance in Peru, established over 15 years ago, has strengthened our position as a reliable year-round supplier.”

The challenges for the recent winter season in Caborca came in the form of the unexpected climatic conditions and the late arrival of cold temperatures resulting in a much shorter crop than in previous years. However, the quality of the asparagus crop remained high, and Altar’s production is expected to be boosted by high volumes from Baja California, Baja Sur, Central Mexico and Peru during the summer months.

Sustainability and social responsibility also play a key role in everything Altar does, with the company having plans in place to move increasingly regenerative agriculture, in addition to the SMETA and Fairtrade certifications that it already holds.

Pesquiera says the addition of the strategic alliance and plans for new plantings across Mexico will continue to ensure Altar’s status as the globe’s leading supplier of fresh asparagus in the years to come.