MANOR, Ga. (Farm Monitor) — Georgia blueberry growers are reporting strong quality this harvest season as dry conditions help reduce disease and pest pressure across parts of the state.
Alex Cornelius of Cornelius Farms says this year’s crop is benefiting from weather conditions that are more favorable than in recent seasons: “Berries look really good. Honestly, this is some of the best quality that we’ve had in years. Mother Nature has been good to us. It’s been a drought, and of course, during a drought — dry weather. The quality is better.”
Cornelius says humid conditions often create additional stress for growers due to fungal diseases and increased pest pressure.
According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the state produces well over 100 million pounds of blueberries annually.
