Most of SE Georgia blueberry crop is a washout

BLACKSHEAR — Southeast Georgia’s blueberry crop has taken a double jolt from the weather, ruining most of the crop.

The University of Georgia Agriculture Extension Service agents say colder-than-normal weather decimated high-bush blueberries early in the season and heavy rains over the past several weeks have ruined much of the rabbit-eye berries now in the field.

The area’s blueberry agent for the extension service, Danny Stanaland, said only 35 to 50 percent of the high-bush berries were harvested and some of those had quality problems and now rabbit-eye blueberries are rotting in the fields, which remain flooded or are too muddy for farmers to get harvesting equipment into them.