Tomatoes are being left to rot in the fields, and packing facilities are tossing out unsold boxes of the fruit as Georgia farmers struggle to sell their product in the wake of the salmonella outbreak.

The next few weeks represent the height of the spring tomato harvest in Georgia, and farmers are hoping for a quick turnaround in sales.

"We've fought hurricanes, floods and everything else. But this is the toughest thing we've ever had to fight," said Greg Murray, owner of Murray Farms in Bainbridge.

Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Georgia tomatoes as it seeks the source of the salmonella outbreak, grocery stores – some of the farmers' biggest customers – have scaled back their tomato purchases because of low consumer demand.

Murray said about a third of his farm's tomatoes were picked and left in the field, cutting his profits in half.

Georgia tomatoes are grown two seasons a year – the current spring season, and a second season with a harvest in the fall – and must be shipped within two or three days after they are harvested.

Bill Brim, a farmer and president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, said his farm in Tifton has lost an estimated $80,000 so far. If tomato sales don't pick up, Brim said he could lose $200,000 to $300,000, possibly resulting in layoffs among his workers.

"We've never experienced anything quite like this," he said.

Charles Hall, executive director of growers association, said most of the state's tomatoes are grown in southern Georgia and are shipped to stores all over the country.

Sluggish tomato sales also have led prices to plummet about 50 percent, according to the growers association. "If something doesn't change soon as far as crop movement, we could see a significant loss for growers," Hall said.

Kroger spokesman Glynn Jenkins said tomato sales are down over the last few weeks. "Certainly," he said, the salmonella outbreak "has impacted our business."

Publix Supermarkets spokeswoman Brenda Reid said tomato sales are "slightly down" compared to this time last year. All varieties of tomatoes are back on the shelves at both grocery stores.

For the hard-pressed farmers, there's a glimmer of hope. Murray said his tomato sales have slowly started to rebound. "I think people have started realizing that [the salmonella scare] was overblown," he said.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

3 – Georgia is the third-largest tomato producer in the nation, after California and Florida.

15 – The number of cases reported so far in the state linked to the salmonella outbreak.

6,000 – The number of acres planted with tomatoes in Georgia.

$8 million – A preliminary estimate of Georgia tomato farmers' losses this spring, according to Terry Kelley of the University of Georgia.

$40 million – Approximate value of Georgia tomatoes in a normal growing season, spring or fall.