By Clint Thompson
Georgia watermelon producers are on the cusp of planting this year’s crop. How many acres that equates to remains a question mark.
“In general, I’ve heard that acreage is going to be increased this year,” said Tim Coolong, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “I talked to a few (growers) this winter and they seemed reasonably optimistic. But at the time I don’t know that they knew the total acreage going in.”
Producers and industry experts will be able to better assess this year’s acreage once all the plants are in the ground. They will once again follow North Florida in the production window. Farmers in that area have mostly planted this year’s crop. Acreage is expected to increase there following a bumper crop last year. That could impact market prices once the calendar turns to June.
“If they have a bumper crop in North Florida, obviously there’s going to be more supply out there,” Coolong said.
Coolong estimated that growers will start planting in mid-March, though it will really pick up in the latter part of the month.
“There’s a whole lot that go in those last two weeks of March,” Coolong said. “They watch the weather, so if there’s like a serious freeze forecast, they’ll delay a little bit. I think it was last year or the year before, we knew there was a freeze coming the last week of March and people held up a little bit.”