Cooperative Extension Service
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
George
Boyhan, Extension Horticulturist-Vegetables
East Georgia Extension Center
Nessmith-Lane Building, 2nd Floor
PO Box 8112
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA 30460
912-681-5639 | 912-681-0376, Fax | 912-682-3481,
mobile
The Vidalia Onion Committee (VOC) had their September meeting to plan for the upcoming year. Jeff Hall, their new manager, gave a progress report on their current situation. The VOC has purchased new computer equipment to facilitate their marketing and bookkeeping. This new equipment will allow Jeff to design and produce promotional materials as well as keep track of their finances.
They will be making a promotional video for Vidalia onions, which will be finished in time for the Produce Marketing Association meeting. They are continuing to be conservative in their marketing until they see how their finances flesh out over the next year. The bumper crop of onions this year has left the VOC with a $95,000 surplus, but members are sure revenues to the committee will be less next year, since this was one of the largest crops in recent memory.
Doris Jamieson, the USDA representative, indicated they would need to have their budget in place before the first of the year. Discussions centered around the budget and the assessment did not result in a budget resolution. Jeff was instructed to prepare a budget for the next meeting based on an average of the past three years' income and expense. There was discussion of reducing the assessment, but this was tabled at least for a year.
Jeff Hall gave an update on Tina Wheeler. A special grant jury is to meet on October 5. The surety bond held by the VOC will pay only $20,000 upon an indictment. The next meeting is scheduled for October 28, 2004.
Because the USDA grade standards covering Vidalia onions has a 1-inch size class, insurance companies are balking at paying for undersized onions. The USDA grade standards for Vidalia onions are covered by the publication United States Standards for Grades of Bermuda-Granex-Grano Type Onions, which has under U.D. No. 1 onions a grade size as small as 1 inch. However, the smallest size Vidalia onions are marketed is mediums (2 inches or larger). It's unclear at this time whether the growers will prevail over the insurance companies concerning this. I am not a crop insurance expert, so I may have this incorrect, but my understanding is that Congress controls this with adjustments in the interpretation made through manager's bulletins.
Another area of concern with crop insurance is in the use of controlled atmosphere storage. Apparently, onions coming from California storage that have suffered damage may not be covered unless the disease affecting them came from the field and is documented. Insurance companies are claiming if there is not documentation of field infection, then they don't have to pay. I don't get it either!!
Finally, stand loss with plantbed onions will have to have documentation that the grower used accepted practices to control soil-borne diseases prior to planting. If a grower contracts for soil fumigation, he is covered since there is documentation of treatment. But a grower who handles this job himself will need some kind of documentation. It was suggested that the local county agent witness and document fumigation if a claim should arise.
A twilight fall field day is scheduled for Thursday, October 21, 2004, at the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center near Reidsville. This field day is scheduled from 5:30-7:30 p.m. We will visit in the field plots from 5:30-6:30 p.m., followed by a sponsored supper.
This field day will feature a new pumpkin we hope to introduce next year. This pumpkin has a high level of disease resistance, so growers will be able to produce it here in south Georgia. Traditional pumpkin production has been hindered or impossible in south Georgia because of disease pressure, particularly from viruses. It is hoped this new pumpkin will give growers an alternative for this area. We are very excited about this new introduction.
Also on the agenda will be organic Vidalia onion production research. There has been some interest in recent years for organic Vidalia onions. We have been doing research in this area to optimize production within the framework of the organic rules. In this same vein, we will have no-till pumpkins planted on our certified organic land.
Information on trellis systems for blackberries will also be available at this field day. An innovative shift-trellis system may be of particular interest to pick-your-own growers.
Please make an effort to join us at this field day and pass the word to your growers and other interested parties.
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Twilight Fall Field DayThursday October 21, 2004
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Well, it has been non-stop rain here in southeast Georgia. We dodged most of Hurricane Ivan, but Frances dumped a considerable amount of rain on us. We need to get onion seed in the ground, but it has been too wet to enter the fields. We hope to be planting next week. Don't forget about our field day October 21. We are very excited about the new pumpkin variety.
Talk to you next month.