Two years ago, Georgia peach growers lost the majority of their crop to spring freezes but bounced back in a great way last year. "We had a wonderful crop in 2024," says Will McGehee with Genuine Georgia, representing Georgia's peach growers. In just a few weeks, the 2025 harvest will kick off and what are the expectations for the upcoming season?
Cold winter
"We've received absolutely perfect growing conditions up until now," McGehee shared. From November through February, it was consistently cold, keeping the trees dormant. "It was a perfect winter for the trees as it was cold enough for them to get enough sleep. When temperatures started to increase in March, the bloom was gorgeous. It has been textbook peach growing weather." As a result, the outlook for the season is very positive.
In addition to perfect weather conditions, new acreage is also coming into production. "In the last five years, a tremendous amount of trees were planted in Georgia and we are now seeing the fruits of that planting labor," McGehee said. Newly planted trees start producing a commercial crop from year four to five as well as year five to six. That's where the industry is at right now and as a result, production volume is expected to be up 15 percent over last year.
Thinning
It's now mid-April and small peaches that are about the size of an olive have formed on the trees. "It's wonderful to see the fruit develop, allowing us to measure the health of the crop." On average, a tree carries about 3,000 peaches and the industry now goes through a thinning process to get the perfect fruit set. "This means we knock off about 2,200 peaches per tree, leaving space for about 800 peaches that will develop into high quality fruit." Thinning is all done by hand and takes place from sunrise to sunset, requiring a lot of labor. The earlier varieties are being thinned right now and by the end of May, thinning is expected to be finished for all varieties.
Early start of harvest
Harvest is expected to start May 7 or 8, which is about a week earlier than normal. Distribution of Georgia peaches is focused on the East Coast. "We go all the way through Texas and up to Minnesota and into Montreal, Canada. From there, we stay east all the way down to Miami." Georgia peaches stay on the East Coast as California is a significant peach growing state, supplying the western part of the U.S. "In addition, staying relatively close to the growing region allows us to have peaches in stores within 36 hours of picking. We like to pick the peaches in the morning and deliver them the evening of the next day." That helps with protecting the freshness of the fruit. "For us, it is all about the freshness. A fresh peach is juicy and sweet and will result in happy customers who come back for repeat purchases."
From bulk to bags
In the weeks leading up to harvest, programs with retailers are being locked in. "Once April comes around, we are past the frost window and there is no more danger, which gives us confidence to put programs together," McGehee shared. Last year was a very good peach year for retailers and Genuine Georgia hopes to improve retailers' results this year. Digital engagement is one way to improve sales results, but the shift from bulk to bags also plays an important role. Up until about eight years ago, Georgia peaches were only available in bulk. However, in recent years consumers have gained interest in pouch bags. "They make it easier to identify with Georgia, are a convenient grab & go item, and allow for some handling instructions to be shown." This year, McGehee predicts 30 percent of Georgia's peach crop to be sold in bags.
Bagged peaches play an increasingly important role in total sales.
Genuine Georgia was established 10 years ago. In 2015, all Georgia peach growers started growing peaches under one umbrella, after eight years of conversations. Up until then, all Georgia peach growers had been operating independently, competing against each other. "We figured out we were better off together and in the past 10 years, we've become a better supplier to our customers. As a result, business has grown with all retailers."
For more information:
Will McGehee
Genuine Georgia
Tel: +1 (478) 822-9210
[email protected]
www.genuinega.com