By Clint Thompson
One of Georgia’s most popular and well-known agricultural commodities is expected to be down in production this year. The sweet taste of Georgia’s peach crop is expected to be in limited supply. The March freeze events devastated the state’s crop, according to Robert Dickey, producer in Musella, Georgia.
“The peaches, unfortunately, are not looking well. The last bad freeze that we had really decimated the crop in the whole Southeast, especially Georgia,” Dickey said. “It’s going to be very, very short. It’s just one of those freak weather events. We’ll have some, but it’ll mainly be in June and July.”
Sub-freezing temperatures in March came on the heels of an unseasonably warm February which was a recipe for disaster for fruit crops that were setting blooms earlier than normal.
According to the University of Georgia Weather Network, the average daily maximum temperature at the UGA Horticulture Research Farm in Watkinsville, Georgia, from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28 was 65 degrees Fahrenheit (F), nearly 4 degrees higher than 2022 (61.6 F) and almost 10 degrees than 2021 (56.1 F). The warm temperatures helped trees mature sooner than expected, which made them more vulnerable to looming freeze events.
The low temperature at the same site dropped to 26 F on March 15. That started the damage, which was followed a week later by the second freeze event. The blooms could not withstand the freeze burn damage that accompanied temperatures in the 20s in parts of the state.
“This variable weather that we’re having has not been kind to our peach crop,” Dickey said. “Hopefully, quality will be good, and I know our marketing demand will be good. Hopefully, we’ll make do with what we have.”