By Clint Thompson
The freeze event during the March 12-13 weekend wiped out at least half of Georgia’s blueberry crop this season, according to early estimates. More than 54 million pounds of blueberries were lost when temperatures dropped into the 20s on that fateful Sunday morning.
Temperatures were as low as 26 degrees Fahrenheit in Alma, Georgia on March 13, according to the University of Georgia Weather Network. Temperatures also dropped to 26 degrees in Baxley and 28 degrees in Homerville; both are located in two of Georgia’s top blueberry-producing counties – Appling and Clinch.
What made the freeze event so impactful is that Georgia’s crop was on the cusp of being ready for harvest, says Chris Butts, executive vice president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA).
“The highbush varieties, especially, were really susceptible. There were a lot of berries on the plant. If you irrigated and had some frost protection, you were definitely going to fare better than those acres that weren’t irrigated,” Butts said. “Some of those had 100% loss on highbush varieties. It’s pretty gruesome.”
The percentage of highbush varieties impacted is greater than the impact on rabbiteye varieties. Butts estimates that between 50% to 55% of Georgia’s total yields were lost.
“You could just about double that number for what our production is. So, 54 million pounds would be roughly 100 million pounds,” Butts said. “The bigger picture … that’s 50 million pounds that aren’t going to go through packing sheds and keep those folks employed and keep those businesses open and humming. Yes, it’s a loss of fruit at the farm gate. But it’s going to have some ripple effects that go out and sting a lot of people.”