Vidalia crop coming on strong after Christmas cold
Vidalia onion plants endured a cold snap around Christmas, but the crop has looked good the past couple of months, said Vidalia Onion Committee Chairman Cliff Riner, the crop production manager for G&R Farms, Glennville, Ga.
For the industry as a whole, the consensus is that Vidalia onions suffered about a 25% stand loss across the board because of the December cold, Riner said. Onion fields planted closer to Christmas suffered most from the cold, he said.
“On the positive side, we have had good weather after Christmas, so the growth has been pretty good,” he said.
About 5% of Vidalia sweet onions are organic, he said.
After a couple of problem-free years, the weather challenges this year are a reminder of how tough onions can be to grow, Riner said.
“That's the thing I want consumers to realize, is [Vidalia sweet onions] are hard to grow,” he said. “[They] don’t just happen and fall off the store shelf.”
Starting soon
The committee established a pack date of April 17 this year. Harvest is expected from April through about mid-May, Riner said, and Vidalia onions should be marketed through the late summer.
Some Vidalia onions planted in December near the time of the cold spell had started to recover in mid-March, he said. Those plants should deliver medium to large-medium onions for the market, he said.
The majority of Vidalia sweet onions have been historically planted between Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, in recent years more growers are wrapping up planting by Dec. 10-15, with some smaller growers finishing planting by early December. Varieties, efficiencies and labor availability have contributed to the smaller planting window.
“It's been a good thing that we have been able to tighten our window in ways to have more quality and consistency in harvest,” Riner said.
While there were some reports of downy mildew in the production region, Riner said growers have a better understanding of how to combat the disease than they did a decade ago.
Related news: Vidalia onion 2023 pack date set for April 17
Ramping up
Riner said most major marketers will try to fulfill the demand for Vidalia sweet onions through the summer, but the shorter crop could make that a challenge.
“Our goal every year is to get to the first of September for Labor Day [demand],” he said. Whether that happens this year depends on the harvest, he said.
Early summer promotions of Vidalia onions will be well supplied, he said, while late summer promotion opportunities are expected to be fewer.
Some producers may see their supplies dwindling by mid to late July, he said.
Trending higher
The sweet onion category has continued to expand, Riner said, and Vidalia sweet onions have been a big driver of that increase.
More and more consumers from every demographic category are using Vidalia onions, he said.
The Vidalia Onion Committee was finalizing several promotions for this year in March, including a potential partnership with marketers of premium Angus beef. One strategy for the committee is to develop long-term partnerships with premium brands that are nationally recognized, Riner said.
The committee also is looking at soon teaming up with meal kit providers, he said. In its work with retailers, the committee will also bring awareness of Vidalia onions to consumers through promotions, messaging and advertising.
Changes
Riner said there is a greater focus on precision agriculture among Vidalia onion growers.
Because of more precise monitoring of crop needs, growers can apply just the right amount of fertilizer needed by the plants. As a result, there has been a reduction in fertilizer used, he said.
“The inflationary measures have driven us to look at each acre, each plant,” he said.
Looking ahead, Riner believes the industry can become more involved in using onions for value-added applications. That could increase return to growers and reduce food waste, he said.
