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GLENNVILLE, Ga. (WSAV) — Monday marked a sweet milestone nationwide as countless Vidalia sweet onions were boxed and dispatched to retailers on the crop’s official packing day.
In response to Georgia’s climate patterns, the Georgia Agriculture Commissioner decided that April 13 was the ideal date for farmers to officially package and distribute the onions to stores across the U.S.
Cliff Riner, who oversees agricultural production and grower relations at G&R Farms, explained that timing regulations help preserve the integrity of the Vidalia onion brand by ensuring that only top-tier onions make it to market shelves.
“We have permission to harvest and prepare them, even categorize them into jumbos, mediums, and colossals,” Riner stated. “However, we must wait to label or bag them as Vidalia onions before they are shipped out.”
Farmers sowed the seeds in November, allowing the onions to develop during the year’s shorter daylight hours. According to Riner, the arrival of the spring equinox signals the conclusion of these shorter days, indicating the bulbs have fully matured.
Georgia’s sandy, low-sulfur soil helps produce the onion’s signature sweet flavor, according to Riner.
Once harvest begins, operations ramp up. G&R Farms supports about 25 year-round employees and hires about 140 additional workers through the H-2A program during the season.
The crop is grown by three growers across 20 counties, though Riner said Tattnall and Toombs counties are considered the “mecca” for producing Vidalia onions.
The industry serves as a major economic driver in Southeast Georgia, creating jobs and attracting visitors to the area. Riner considered it the farm’s “primary cash crop.”
“We have a lot of people coming out of here, that’s driven three or four hours just to come by and see what a lot of onion facility looks like,” said Riner. “They’re just as proud to have them as we are to grow them and ship them.”
The onions shipped on Monday were harvested about five days earlier. After drying and curing, they were brought to the warehouse, where they are sorted multiple times to ensure only high-quality onions make it into each box.
15 truckloads, carrying a total of about 15,000 40-pound boxes, were sent out on Monday. By the end of the season, about 500 truckloads are expected to head to stores across the country.
Riner said the Vidalia sweet onion season is estimated to last until Labor Day.