Following late December’s cold snap, the Vidalia onion crop from Georgia will be impacted. That said, it’s not necessarily a surprise. “That is the reality of Georgia winters and we do account for this possibility in our plantings,” says Steven Shuman, general manager/VP of sales for G&R Farms. “Thankfully the timing of the cold snap occurred at a time that is allowing for good regrowth.”
In fact, since that cold, there has been mild weather and warmer temperatures in the region and the crop is catching up again and Vidalia onion growers are looking ahead optimistically. Georgia is known for those types of conditions and the warm fall coupled and cool winter, along with the warm spring, offer environmental consistency for onions that are consistently sweet and mild. “Like always, we look ahead with the knowledge that today the crop looks to be of normal size and volume but we still have a ways to go and some spring weather hurdles to get past before we can speak in absolutes. However today everything looks good,” says Shuman.
Left to right: Steven Shuman, Jon Dorminey, VP Of operations.
To date, the ship date for the onions, set annually by the Vidalia Onion Committee and the Georgia Department of Agriculture, has yet to be announced though it traditionally starts in mid-April. “Depending on the size of the crop, Vidalia onions are usually available to get through August as we transition into Peruvian sweets,” says Shuman. “As a rule of thumb, the crop is heaviest to jumbos with at least 70 percent of the volume in this size with balance in colossals and mediums.”
Home cooking fueling Vidalia consumption
As for demand, it’s been strong for the past three years--before that, it saw a slight downtick. “We believe the upward trend on sales and consumption continues to be driven by more home cooking and meal preparation and we expect the same as 80 percent of consumers still report cooking more at home than dining out,” says Shuman.
“Depending on the size of the crop, Vidalia onions are usually available to get through August as we transition into Peruvian sweets,” says Steven Shuman (left). Right: Eddie Lewis, quality control/import manager.
Altogether, this means pricing is expected to look steady to slightly higher than last year given inputs continue to be high and have been further impacted by inflation. “We continue to work with our vendors to make changes where possible to achieve optimum efficiencies to maintain quality and value for the consumer,” says Shuman.
These changes include implementing its new packaging equipment which will be operational by the start of the season. “This is a multi-year process of selecting and designing a state-of-the-art packing line that is nearly 80 percent faster than our existing equipment and will optimize accuracy, sizing and quality control to provide more uniformity in pack sizes and allow for precision packing efficiency,” says Shuman.
For more information:
Melinda Goodman
G&R Farms
Tel: +1 (414) 469-5524
melinda@fulltiltmarketing.net
www.grfarmsonions.com