Vidalia® onion season has wrapped up harvest and supplies are moving into storage.
In 1982, Delbert Bland (above) and his late father, Raymond, began growing Vidalia sweet onions on just five acres at Bland Farms.
Troy Bland, CEO of Bland Farms in Glennville, Georgia says it anticipates having supplies of Georgia’s Vidalia onions available into September. “Supply this year looks about the same as last year, which was a good year. Right now, we don’t see any supply issues to meet expected demand,” says Bland. “The quality has remained good. We have finished shipping fresh Vidalias and are now shipping from storage.”
This year’s season did start a few weeks earlier than last year. Overall, acreage on Vidalias has remained steady.
Troy Bland (left) says Bland Farms have finished shipping fresh Vidalias and are now shipping from storage.
Consumers love of sweet onions
Demand remains strong for Vidalia sweet onions. “Sweet onions in general, and more specifically Vidalia onions, are the category leader and we expect continued strong demand within the category. Sweet onions are actually a key driver in overall produce sales,” says Bland. “Pricing remains strong. We are seeing some higher retail prices this year due to higher fuel costs. We are working hard to keep costs down the best we can.”
Troy and Mary Katelyn Bland and family.
Along with higher input costs, supply chain issues also continue to be a challenge for growers. “The pandemic shifted the consumer market, and it took time to adjust to that. Like a pendulum swinging, the pandemic knocked us off kilter and removed all the surplus out of the system. It was a challenge to maintain a level of normalcy going into to 2021,” says Bland. “Like most, we are still dealing with the lingering effects of the pandemic. But we are pleased with the overall quality and supply we have this year.”
For more information:
Susan Godorov
Bland Farms
Tel: +1 (407) 491-8938
susan@supermarketingpromotions.com
https://blandfarms.com/