Georgia growers expect a strong spring/summer season despite a late start in some regions caused by heavier-than-usual spring rains.
“This year, growing conditions have been generally favorable,” said Matthew Kulinski, director of marketing for the Georgia Department of Agriculture. “We anticipate a robust season.”
Georgia produces an extensive assortment of fruits and vegetables at this time of year, including peaches, Vidalia onions, blueberries, watermelons, tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet corn.
Volume statewide should be up slightly compared to last year, with a substantial improvement for peaches and blueberries, Kulinski said.
Baker Farms in Norman Park, Ga., will market collards, kale, turnips, mustard, broccoli, beets, chard, cilantro, parsley, cabbages, zucchini and several kinds of squashes, said Heath Wetherington, chief operating officer.
The area received more rainfall than usual, but the storms were spaced out and temperatures were mostly normal.
“We had time to dry ourselves off and recover between rains,” he said.
Volume should be similar to last year at Baker Farms.
Beet sales should be up in response to increased demand, but the cabbage market has been tough, Wetherington said, probably because of oversupply in the Southeast.
“The market has been strong on some items, such as broccoli and beets, but very weak in others,” he said.
Prices of greens have been consistent, which allows the company “to plan ahead pretty accurately for the year without taking many hard, unexpected losses.”
Reidsville, Ga.-based Shuman Farms began shipping Vidalia onions in mid-April and will continue through Labor Day, said John Shuman, president and CEO.
The company has expanded its Vidalia onion program by 30% after acquiring the assets of Vidalia, Ga.-based Generation Farms, he said.
Packing capabilities also have been bolstered, and capital improvements to existing facilities have increased the firm’s storage capacity by nearly 25%, Shuman added.
Bland Farms, Glennville, Ga., will offer Vidalia sweet onions in a variety of sizes until early August then switch to its Peruvian program followed by Mexico, said CEO Troy Bland.
“We harvested a fantastic crop this year,” he said. “We are packing and shipping high-quality Vidalia sweet onions.”
Bland Farms accounts for about 25% of Vidalia sweet onion volume and plants more crops every year, he said.
The sweet onion market should be similar or slightly higher than the past two years, Bland said.
“Consumers love Vidalia sweet onions, which drives demand up,” he said.
Finding adequate labor to harvest and pack crops can be a challenge, but Georgia growers seem to be meeting that challenge.
“Labor availability remains a concern, yet growers are cautiously optimistic,” Kulinski said. “Efforts have been made to ensure adequate staffing through local workforce development initiatives and partnerships.”
Baker Farms is doing fine on the labor front, Wetherington said.
“We are fortunate to have a great team of H-2A and non-H-2A workers that keep the wheels turning,” he said.
“Labor is always a challenge,” Bland said, “so we anticipate for what’s ahead and prepare as best we can.”
The company has been working with the H-2A guest worker program for more than 20 years to fill gaps in its labor pool, he said.
The 2024 season has faced some unique challenges, Kulinski said.
“Growers are navigating increased costs due to inflation, particularly in terms of inputs like fertilizers and fuel,” he said. “These factors require careful management to maintain profitability and sustainability.”
Growers have to be cost conscious, Wetherington said.
“Unfortunately inflation costs get passed on to our customers and then ultimately to the consumers,” he said.
Baker Farms hasn’t seen any decline in inflation when it comes to things like packaging supplies, fertilizers or fuel, he said. Labor costs are on the rise as well.
“Inflated pricing on produce in the grocery store starts way before it makes it to the shelves,” Wetherington said. “It’s really affected everybody involved.”
Rising costs have a major influence on supply and demand, Bland added.
For example, he said pallets that used to cost around $7 now cost more than $15.
“This is a cost that we do not pass on to our retailers,” he said.
Bland Farms also has seen freight costs increase dramatically over the past two years, and the company has a limited pool of trucks available every week.
“We expect these challenges to continue for the immediate future and do what we can to offset them without passing the increases down to customers,” Bland said.
