Everett Griner talks about how the hard winter affected farmers and their crops in today’s Agri View.
This past winter was the mildest winter this country has had in 100 years. The section where I live had a total of four nights with temperatures in the freezing zone. The last night was March 16th.
You know it is hard to imagine the amount of damage farmers suffered on that one night. Eighty percent of the peach crop was lost. Georgia farmers were expected to have the nation’s biggest blueberry crop this year. That night they lost 90 percent of it. These were not the only crops to be hard hit. Strawberries were just starting to bloom. The cold got them.
Farmers who plant sweet corn for the early market normally are ready by Memorial Day. They will not have an early crop this year.
This is the 3rd report I have done on weather losses suffered by farmers because of unusual weather this past winter. There is no accurate total. It is likely to set a new record when the total is done.
That’s Agri View for today. I’m Everett Griner.