Georgia Peach Growers Brace for Smaller Crop After Frost Damage

Farmers say weather extremes and rising costs are creating a more challenging season across Georgia peach country.

CONCORD, Ga. (Farm Monitor) — A mix of weather extremes is shaping Georgia’s peach crop this year as growers continue dealing with the impact of late-season frost damage.

Early warming conditions followed by colder weather reduced expectations for this season’s harvest, leaving many farms managing a smaller crop heading into summer.

Growers also say higher input costs continue adding pressure during an already difficult growing season.

Stuart Gregg with Gregg Farms says the operation is adjusting the best it can with the crop available.

“We’ll have a crop this year. It’ll just be a little bit shorter. We might not be open every day, might not have U-Pick every day, but we’ll have something throughout the summer it just won’t be like other seasons when you have a bumper crop.”

Despite the setbacks, growers say customers can still expect Georgia peaches this summer, though harvest availability may not match previous years.

Related Stories
According to surveys by the University of Georgia in 2015, feral hogs caused approximately $100 million in agricultural damage just in that state. They continue to be a costly problem for rural communities across the state, reports Damon Jones of Georgia Farm Monitor.

Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Industry leaders say restored access is a major step forward, though exports remain well below previous levels.
Scientists say studying how cattle digest seaweed could help shape future livestock nutrition and sustainability efforts.
Emily Oberbroeckling says producers in northeast Iowa have made strong planting progress while continuing to monitor moisture conditions.
RFD News Farm Legal Expert Roger McEowen shares the major role of timing clauses in farmland sales, leases, and succession planning.
State agriculture leaders say the new “Nine Lakes of East Tennessee” designation could boost tourism and industry investment.
Large animal vets say the parasite is now showing up in regions where it historically has not been common.