By Clint Thompson
Georgia blueberries are expected to be ready for harvest earlier than normal this year. One producer believes it is due to the warm temperatures the region experienced in February.
Albert Wildes, who operates 50 acres in Alma, Georgia, said harvests should begin within the next two weeks for his crop.
“I have not started harvesting. There’s just a few scattered around that have begun to harvest. It’s going to be a couple of weeks before we get into full swing,” Wildes said. “Typically, it’s around the 25th or so. I think we’re going to be a little bit earlier this year, maybe a few days.
“It’s a little bit early and I think that has to do when it was really warm in February. We had spring in February, and then we got a little bit of winter in March. They bloomed a little bit earlier than usual. That’s going to push things up a few days I think.”
Wildes likes the look of this year’s crop. The warm temperatures have not only helped spur maturity but also impacted the fruit’s quality.
“It looks like a good crop. It looks like the quality is going to be very good. These sunshiny days are going to put a lot of sugar in them,” Wildes said. They’re going to be sweet and ready to go.”
While production appears to be earlier than normal with strong quality, the market is a question mark. Wildes is especially concerned with the constant flow of imports that are originating from Mexico. It’s unfortunately a never-ending challenge for Wildes and growers in Georgia and Florida.
“We’ll have to compete with the Mexican fruit coming in here. That’s always a problem it seems like. We don’t know what’s going to happen there. I don’t know what kind of crop they’ve got,” Wildes said.