State Ag Officials Survey Crop Damage

State officials look at damage done to crops by last week’s freezing temperatures.

Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black joined House Ag Committee Chair Tom McCall late last week to survey the damage to fruit and vegetable crops from freezing temperatures that hit the state on Wednesday, March 15 and Thursday, March 16.

The extreme temperatures were felt border to border, with farmers experiencing temperatures as low as 22 degrees as far south as Homerville, Georgia , located on the Florida state line.

The South Georgia blueberry crop was hit in the hardest, where early estimates predict losses as much as 80 percent of expected production. Other crops affected by the freeze include peaches, strawberries, watermelons, peppers and other tabletop vegetable that the state has become known for, with state officials saying the peach crop could be down as much as two thirds.