Sub-freezing temperatures this week in the United States cold-hardy citrus region caused minimal impact on fruit, but a hailstorm in parts of South Georgia resulted in crop and infrastructure damage.
Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and owner of JoNina Farm in Ochlocknee, said her operation experienced a hail event lasting about 15 to 20 minutes on Sunday. She reported structural damage to parts of her greenhouse, which have been temporarily patched, and hail-related punctures on fruit that was close to harvest. Savelle estimated that less than 10 percent of the fruit was damaged, though the region was already dealing with low availability of satsuma mandarins this season.
"I didn't have much fruit. We cut down 250 trees. Then the hail pounded what we did have. There's just a lack of it," she said. Savelle noted that hail damage was observed in north Grady County, Thomas County, and parts of Brooks County.
Following the hail event, Savelle focused on protecting young citrus trees ahead of the forecasted freeze by covering them with Tree Defenders, a type of individual protective cover. She said the freeze did not cause additional damage.
"The freeze didn't really do anything to us at all. We covered the small trees with the Tree Defenders, and they were just fine," she said. "After a weather event, I always reach out to people, and everybody said they were good. The freeze went to 27 degrees and 28 in other places, but it didn't hurt us."
Growers in the region continue to monitor the season as they manage weather-related risks and a reduced satsuma crop load.
Source: Citrus Industry
