Growers of Vidalia onions battled too much rain this winter, causing some losses of the signature Georgia crop.
Now, as the official first day of shipping arrives Thursday, farmers are keeping an eye on the coronavirus.
Many are worried about how the pandemic, which over the course of five weeks has disrupted almost every phase of ordinary life, will affect the 2020 season.
Seasonal workers from Mexico were delayed by travel bans, but are beginning to arrive in the 20 counties of southeast Georgia where Vidalias can be grown, easing fears of a manpower shortage.
“Some of the workers are coming in OK, and some ain’t got here yet,” said Johnny Beasley of Beasley Farms in Uvalda.
Farmers also are anxious to see how sales go after the problems experienced by vegetable farmers in south Florida.
Some had to plow under crops like green beans and tomatoes because of lost sales when restaurants, schools and other institutions were forced to close. Supply chains are adjusting to try to move those products to grocery stores, but consumers have not picked up that slack so far.
“We are worried about the same thing,” Beasley said. “In this economy, we don’t know what is going on. …We are worried about whether we are going to get a buyer out there for it.”
Others are optimistic.
Bob Stafford, the director of the Vidalia Onion Growers Council, said there is a small shortage of other onions that could help Vidalia sales. And, as people cook at home more, onions are a basic ingredient for many dishes.
“So, we are looking at a market where demand should be pretty high,” he predicted.
The sales season for onions is longer than for some other vegetables because they can be stored for months and sold later.
Julie McPeake, spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Agriculture, said sales could hold up. Vidalias are a specialty crop with limited production, and people are used to buying them as they come into season.
How other Georgia crops, such as blueberries and peaches, will fare remains to be seen.
McPeake said many are concerned about the vegetable and fruit market.
“A lot goes to food service, and that market is not an available service as it once was,” she said.
Farming is Georgia's biggest industry, and farm products bring $13.7 billion to the state, according to the University of Georgia.
The agricultural industry has taken several hits in recent years. In late 2018, Hurricane Michael destroyed billions of dollars of crops. In 2019, Chinese tariffs strangled trade and prices.
This year, winter rains cut into the Vidalia crop.
“The onions didn’t mature like they were supposed to,” Beasley said. He farms about 300 acres.
“The crop is way, way down,” he said. He expects to harvest about 40% less than last year, which had been a banner year for many Vidalia growers.
He said a conference call with growers Wednesday confirmed that most growers are seeing a significant reduction in yield.
“Size is going to be down. It’s going to be a nice quality, just not as many of them,” he said.
The growers are ready to move forward and see what the market bears.
At Dry Branch Farms in Tattnall County, Shirley Jarriel said Wednesday, “We’ve already began plowing, and our dryers are full and ready to start packing tomorrow morning.”
