Vidalia® Sweet Onions are ready to ship starting today. “We have a beautiful crop this year filled with incredible flavor,” says Troy Bland, CEO of Bland Farms.
This crop follows a cold snap in December that impacted the entire industry. “Despite weather adversities on the front end that affected some Vidalia Sweet Onion plant stands, they’ve recovered quite well,” says Bland. “We won’t have a huge crop but the supply and flavor will definitely be there.”
Typically, Vidalias start harvesting in early April and start packing around mid-April so the season is on time. “We expect the season to continue through late July, which is earlier than the past few seasons,” he says.
“We expect the season to continue through late July, which is earlier than the past few seasons,” Troy Bland says.
Getting ready for strong demand
As for demand, it’s generally strong for the onions but exceptionally strong the first few weeks of the season, a time of year when retailers typically push hard with ads and promotions. This year Bland Farms is partnering with country music singer Billy Currington for its Southern Stars Promotion, where it will give away concert tickets and prices for Currington’s upcoming tour. “This turn-key promotion will help drive sales for retailers with social media opportunities, display contests and point-of-sale merchandising displays,” says Bland.
The Vidalia name also brings about name recognition that Bland says spans the globe and pushes demand. “For us, what started as seasonal buying has turned into year-round demand,” he says. Bland Farms has 2,000 acres of Vidalia domestically as well as 660 hectares in Peru and 400 hectares in Mexico. “Recognizing and acting on the rising demand for sweet onions enabled us to expand production, forming strategic growing partnerships that have proven extremely valuable and allowed us to supply sweet onions year-round,” he says.
This year Bland Farms is partnering with country music singer Billy Currington for its Southern Stars Promotion, where it will give away concert tickets and prices for Currington’s upcoming tour.
Transitioning out of Georgia
Once the Vidalia Sweet Onion season is over, the transition is made to the Peru program and that runs through January. From there, it’s on to production in Mexico. Bland also notes it sources sweet onions domestically from Nevada and California.
As for pricing, Bland says the projections are that the Sweet Onion market will be similar to the last two years, if not slightly higher. “Prices for everything–fertilizer, gas, products, packaging and labor–are steadily increasing, which drives our costs up,” he says, noting Bland Farms continues looking for ways to reduce waste, improve fuel costs and incorporate technology to meet the consumer’s growing demand for sustainability. “Consumers love Vidalia Sweet Onions, which drives demand up. So, we make every effort to price them competitively while keeping up with increasing costs to grow and ship them.”
For more information:
Michele Marin
Bland Farms
[email protected]
https://blandfarms.com/