A part of Georgia’s citrus crop lies in the southeastern part of the state. Aubrey Shirley, University of Georgia (UGA) Tattnall County Extension coordinator, believes that portion is continuing to grow. The main threat to that growth is citrus greening disease.
“If we get greening really bad and it starts to hinder production, I think the industry is so young, I don’t know if it would continue to grow or not,” Shirley said. “My concern is the future and what’s happening with greening.”
Shirley coordinated the Southeast Georgia Citrus Workshop on July 28. The event was held at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center in Lyons. It included specialists from UGA and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The workshop focused on disease, pest management and other factors impacting the citrus industry.
Citrus greening is not the only potential roadblock to production continuing to thrive in the area. Growers are also seeing challenges with marketing their crop, especially after a bumper season, which is expected this year.
Shirley believes there is money to be made if growers can find a way to sell their crop. He says consumers like the citrus varieties being grown and are willing to pay for them.
“I don’t think growers knew how much these trees can produce. That’s what they’re running into,” Shirley said. “I think that they can sell some of the fruit, but they can’t sell all of it because school systems around here are small; they can only take so much. If we venture out and reach bigger school systems, other government entities or maybe if we form a cooperative, these are ways we can get more people involved.”
Shirley said the southeastern citrus-growing region in Georgia centers on Toombs County and encompasses neighboring areas like Appling County, Wayne County, Pierce County and Bulloch County.
By Clint Thompson