By Frank Giles The early blueberry season was highlighted during last weekend’s Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia. One topic kept trending for growers in attendance, too many blooms, way too early. Some growers are reporting up to 30% bloom in Georgia. That makes for a challenging winter for producers hoping to avoid hard freezes as the …
Georgia Pecan Estimate: Diminished Crop Compared to 2020
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s final pecan total this season is estimated to be less than half of its total in 2020. While that’s not a surprise to growers and industry leaders, it’s still a tough pill to swallow following last year’s 142 million pounds of production. “I don’t think it’s going to be much over 50 million pounds, if that,” …
Algal Stem Blotch Becoming Widespread in Georgia
By Jonathan Oliver Wet weather during 2021 contributed to the development of several significant disease issues on Georgia blueberries. Throughout the summer of 2021, rainfall across Georgia’s blueberry production belt was considerably above normal, and issues with phytophthora root rot and algal stem blotch were widely reported across southern Georgia during late summer and fall. Phytophthora root rot is one …
Farmer Testimonial: Georgia Producer Laments High Input Costs
By Clint Thompson Ricky Powe’s fall vegetable production generated positive yields. Combine that with an advantageous market for farmers and it should have produced a content farmer. So why wasn’t this South Georgia farmer more pleased with his cropping situation? It is the exorbitant amount of spending he and other specialty crop farmers are paying for input costs. “That’s going …
Dry Conditions Helping Georgia Strawberry Producers with Disease Pressure
By Clint Thompson The extended dry conditions before this past weekend across various parts of Georgia benefited the state’s strawberry producers. The less rain and wet conditions meant fewer instances of diseases being a factor, says Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties. “If it gets dry, they can water …
Pesky Pest: Diamondback Moth Remains Concern for Georgia Growers
By Clint Thompson One pest that Georgia vegetable growers can bank on for the upcoming season is diamondback moth. Its high resistance to insecticides makes it an annual pest that growers need to be wary of, according to Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist. “We have products that when they first come out, they were probably …
Pecans Prices, Demand Remain Strong for Georgia Producers
Pecan prices remain strong, while demand is good for Georgia farmers. That’s the latest from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Pecan Report, which was released on Thursday. Temperatures are expected to warm back up to the mid-70s by next Tuesday, which should provide favorable harvesting conditions for those producers hoping to collect what’s remaining in their orchards. “Domestic buyers …
Florida, Georgia Remain Top Users of H-2A Program
Florida and Georgia remained the top two users of the H-2A program, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, as of Sept. 30, 2021. For the fiscal year (FY) 2021, the number of certified positions for Florida numbered 44,706, or 14.1% of the total certified in FY 2021. Georgia was second with 35,205 positions or 11.1%. The other top states …
Georgia Hemp Licenses: New Producers/Processors Can Apply in January
Georgia hemp producers and processors who were licensed this year can now apply for a license for the 2022 season. The 2022 Georgia hemp grower license and processor permit window will reopen in January for all new applicants. Tim Coolong, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, believes hemp acreage will not increase next …
Georgia Farmer: It’s Not Sustainable Right Now
By Clint Thompson The recent spike in input costs has forced farmers to plead with their customers on renegotiating their current contracts. South Georgia vegetable farmer Jaime Patrick has implemented this strategy and seen mixed results. “Especially on contract business that we have, year by year contracts or multiple year contracts, we’re having to go back now and say, ‘Hey, …










