The Vidalia® onion season has concluded the harvest, and the offer is moving to the warehouse.
Troy Bland, general manager of Bland Farms in Glennville, Georgia, says he anticipates having supplies of Georgia Vidalia onions available through September. "This year's supply looks about the same as last year, which was a good year. We don't see any supply issues meeting forecast demand," Bland says. "The quality continues to be good. We have finished shipping the fresh Vidalia and are now shipping from the warehouse."
This year's season started a few weeks earlier than last year's. In general, Vidalia's acreage has remained stable.
Demand for sweet Vidalia onions remains strong. "Sweet onions in general, and more specifically Vidalia onions, are leaders in the category, and we expect strong demand within the category to continue. Sweet onions are indeed a key driver in product sales in general." Diluted shares. "Prices are still strong. This year we see retail prices higher due to rising fuel costs. We are trying to keep costs down as best we can."
Besides rising input costs, supply chain issues also remain a challenge for growers. "The pandemic changed the consumer market, and it took time to adjust. The pandemic threw us off-center like a pendulum and removed all the surplus from the system. It was a challenge to maintain normality until 2021," concludes Bland. "Like most, we are still dealing with the lingering effects of the pandemic. But we are pleased with the overall quality and supply this year."