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Georgia’s Month-by-Month Produce Guide

December 24, 2025

While Georgia’s climate allows for some of the best produce in the country, the window to catch your favorite fruits and veggies at their peak can be surprisingly short. To help you shop smarter and eat fresher, we’ve put together a quick guide to what’s hitting the farm stands and grocery aisles throughout the year.

Georgia Produce Seasonality Chart

Legend: A = Available, L = Limited Availability, Blank = Not Available.

Plant Name	Plant Type	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Apples ⁱⁱⁱ	Fruit							A	A	A	A	A
Arugula ⁱ	Veg				A	A	A
Asparagus	Veg				A	A	A
Basil ⁱ	Herb					A	A	A	A	A	L	L
Beans (Green/ Hericot Vert)	Other					A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Beans (Lima)	Veg					A	A	A	A
Beets/ Beetroot	Veg	A	A	A	A	A	A				A	A	A
Blackberries	Fruit					A	A	A
Blueberries	Fruit					A	A	A	A
Bok Choy	Veg	A	A	A	A	A	A				A	A	A
Broccoli	Veg	A	A	A	A	A					A	A	A
Brussels Sprouts	Veg	A	A									A	A
Cabbage	Veg	A	A	A	A	A					A	A	A
Cantaloupe (Melon)	Fruit						A	A	A
Carrots	Veg	A	A	A	A	A					A	A	A
Cauliflower	Veg	A	A	A	A	A				A	A	A	A
Celery (and Celery Root)	Veg	A	A								A	A	A
Chard	Veg	A	A	A	A	A					A	A	A
Chives	Herb	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Cilantro ⁱ	Herb			A	A	A					A	A	A
Citrus (Mandarin)	Fruit	A	L								A	A	A
Collard Greens	Veg	A	A	A	A	A	A			L
Corn (Sweet)	Other						A	A	A
Cucumbers	Veg					L	A	A	A	A	L	L
Dill	Herb					A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Edamame (Soy bean)	Veg							A	A	A	A
Eggplant	Veg						A	A	A	A	A
Fennel ⁱⁱ	Herb	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Figs	Fruit							A	A
Garlic ⁱⁱⁱ	Veg					A	A	A	A	A	A
Garlic Scapes/ Green Garlic	Veg			A	A	A
Grapes (Muscadine)	Fruit							A	A	A	A
Green Onions (Scallions)	Veg	A	A	A	A	A
Hibiscus	Fruit									A	A
Kale ⁱ	Veg	L	L	A	A	A					A	A	A
Kohlrabi	Veg				A	A					A	A	A
Leeks	Veg	A	A	A	A	A					A	A	A
Lettuce ⁱ	Veg	L	L	A	A	A	A			A	A	A	A
Lemongrass	Herb
Maypop (Passion fruit)	Fruit									A	A	L
Melons (other than cantaloupe)	Fruit					L	A	A	A	A	L
Mint	Herb					A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Mushrooms (cultivated), year-round	Other	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Mustard Greens	Veg	A	A	A	A	A	A				A	A	A
Okra	Veg					A	A	A	A	A	A
Olives	Fruit										A	A	A
Onions (sweet, Vidalia) ⁱⁱⁱ	Veg				A	A	A	A	A	A	L
Oregano	Herb					A	A	A	A	A	A	L
Parsley ⁱⁱ	Herb	L	L	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Parsnips	Veg										A	A	A
Peaches	Fruit					A	A	A	A
Peanuts	Other								A	A	A	A
Pears	Fruit								A	A	A	A
Peas (field, cowpeas, black-eyed)	Other					A	A	A	A	A	A
Peas/Pea Pods	Other		A	A	A	A
Pecans	Other									A	A	A	A
Peppers (sweet and hot)	Veg					L	A	A	A	A	A	L
Persimmons	Fruit									A	A	A
Plums	Fruit					L	L	A	A	A
Potatoes (Irish) ⁱⁱⁱ	Veg					A	A	A	A	L
Potatoes (Sweet)	Veg	A	A						A	A	A	A	A
Pumpkin	Veg									A	A	A
Radishes	Veg			A	A	A	A
Raspberry	Fruit						A	A
Rosemary ⁱⁱ	Herb	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Sage ⁱⁱ	Herb	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Sorrel	Herb	A	A	A	A	A						A	A
Spinach	Veg	A	A	A	A	A						A	A
Squash (summer; including zucchini)	Veg					A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Squash (winter)	Veg								A	A	A	A	A
Strawberry	Fruit			A	A	A
Tarragon	Herb					A	A	A	A	A	L
Thyme ⁱⁱ	Herb	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Tomatoes	Fruit					L	A	A	A	A	A	L
Turnips	Veg	L	L	A	A						A	A	A
Watercress ⁱ	Herb				A	A	A
Watermelon	Fruit						A	A	A	A

Notes

Georgia has 8 different USDA hardiness zones, so which and when produce is available varies by region.
ⁱ can be grown in controlled environment year-round
ⁱⁱ can be harvested perennially
ⁱⁱⁱ extended availability from storage

Posted in: Food, Fruit, Horticulture, Resources, Vegetables

Bird Flu and Dairy Cattle

April 2, 2024

April 2, 2024

Georgia’s dairy industry is estimated to have a farm gate value of over $375 million in 2022 according to UGA’s most recent Farm Gate Value report. The dairy industry ranks just outside the top-ten as the 11^th largest agricultural industry in Georgia.

Early last week, cows in dairy herds in Kansas and Texas tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Since then, additional states have reported HPAI cases in dairy cattle (DTN/Progressive Farmer). The risk to humans is generally low as milk from sick cows do not enter the supply chain and the pasteurization process would kill the virus. However, this event does show that the dairy industry is at risk from HPAI affecting production. In the affected herds, about 10% of cows were infected. One of the main impacts appears to be reduced milk production. Lower milk production is especially detrimental in the current market environment of low milk prices. Keep an eye out for developments as the situation is changing rapidly.

Another risk is that consumers stop buying beef out of fear and beef prices drop. This appeared to occur yesterday as feeder cattle prices dropped with news of a human case of bird flu connected to the Texas outbreak (Reuters).

It is important for producers to maintain good biosecurity measures on their operation. Some of these best practices were recently published by the Georgia Department of Agriculture .

For more detailed information about our extension and research efforts, please visit the UGA Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics extension page:
https://agecon.uga.edu/extension.html

Will Secor
Assistant Professor
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Georgia
wsecor@uga.edu
706-542-3577

Posted in: Uncategorized
Updated Data on Georgia’s Agricultural Economy

March 28, 2024
The latest edition of the Georgia Farm Gate Value Report (GFGVR) – for 2022 – has been released, offering a comprehensive analysis of the county-level value of production for Georgia commodities. According to the figures from the GFGVR, food and fiber production alone contribute more than $18 billion statewide, showcasing the diversity and vitality of Georgia’s agricultural economy.

The publication series also features the 2024 Ag Snapshots, providing valuable insights into how production values stimulate additional economic activity throughout the agricultural supply chain and the broader economy. Collectively, these effects underscore the significant economic contribution to the state, totaling $83.6 billion in output and supporting 323,300 jobs. Here are some additional highlights:
- The economic contribution of food and fiber production plus related industries, amounts to over $7,663 per person in Georgia.
- Blueberries, pecans, and peaches rank among the top five among Georgia Fruits and Nuts and hold top-ranking positions nationally.
- Broilers, peanuts, and pecans claim the number one spot in national commodity rankings for 2022 in terms of total production.
For those interested in a more localized perspective, the 2024 Ag Snapshots for Georgia Counties—an interactive online graphic—explores the economic contribution of all 159 Georgia counties. Summarizing the total output and jobs for each, starting with agricultural production, the data uncovers a wide spectrum of economic activity across the state. Output values range from $7 million to over $5.5 billion, with job numbers spanning from 18 to 18,000. These figures encompass the combined impact of industries along the agricultural supply chain, incorporating not only production but also related processing and manufacturing sectors. This tool serves as a vital resource for understanding the importance of the agricultural economy for each Georgia county.

For more detailed information about our extension and research efforts, please visit the UGA Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics extension page:
https://agecon.uga.edu/extension.html

Sharon Kane
Senior Public Service Associate
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Georgia
spkane@uga.edu
706-542-9809
Posted in: Uncategorized
Latest USDA Agricultural Census Numbers Released

March 17, 2024

Every five years the USDA conducts an agricultural census in order to better understand changes in the agricultural landscape. The latest release occurred in mid-February 2024 and provided a glimpse into the landscape of agriculture throughout the U.S.

With respect to Georgia, the market value of agricultural products increased by 16% to over $13 billion. Georgia ranked second in the Southeast in market value of products sold behind North Carolina. However, the number of farms decreased by 7% from 2017 to 2022 with just under 40,000 farms in Georgia. The amount of acreage remained relatively the same, but average farm size increased from 235 to 253 acres (or an 8% increase). The largest losses in farm numbers came at the 1-9 acre level (decreased by 26%) while 2,000+ acre farm numbers increased by 22%.

Georgia farms also saw changes in the legal structure of farms. The number of family/individual and partnerships decreased by 9% and 7%, respectively. However, farms as corporations increased by 18%.

Examining individual Georgia agricultural sectors, Georgia experienced the following with respect to market value of crops sold:
-Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, sod increased by 15% to $441 million
-Poultry and eggs increased by 22% to $7.9 billion
-Cattle and calves decreased by 12% to $380 million
-Cotton increased by 39% to $1.2 billion
-Vegetables, melons, potatoes, increased by 1% to $681 million
-Fruits, tree nuts, and berries decreased by 3% to $486 million

Comparing Georgia to other Southeastern states, Georgia fared better is the smallest decrease in the number of farms and having a stable farm acreage compared to many Southeastern states that had a large number of acres moving out of agriculture.

For more detailed information, please visit the following links for more detailed factsheets regarding Georgia agricultural and the latest agricultural census.

Georgia agricultural factsheet

Southeastern agricultural comparison factsheet

For more detailed information about our extension and research efforts, please visit the UGA Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics extension page:
https://agecon.uga.edu/extension.html

Ben Campbell
Associate Professor
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Georgia
ben.campbell@uga.edu
706-542-0852

Posted in: Uncategorized
Covid-19 Impact on GA Ag Survey

January 5, 2021

All sectors of Georgia’s food and fiber industry have been impacted by the COVID pandemic. In May, over 850 producers completed a survey describing the early impacts of the disease on agriculture in Georgia. In an effort to get a more complete story for 2020, the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, Georgia Farm Bureau, the Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development are jointly offering a follow-up survey.

If you are an agricultural producer located in the state of Georgia, please take the time to complete this 10-minute survey. As an industry, it is critical that we work together to document the needs of our farming community during this time.

Thank you very much for your participation and please, click on the link to take the survey:

Georgia Farmers Year-End COVID-19 Impact

If the link above doesn’t work, please copy paste the following in your browser:

https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_efBzrDOnqssorRP

If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to contact the Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, University of Georgia, Vanessa P. Shonkwiler at 706-542-9811 or V.Shonkwiler@uga.edu.

Posted in: Uncategorized
Coronavirus, Seasonal Workers and Food Supply Shortage

March 27, 2020

Esendugue Greg Fonsah¹ and Justin Shealey²

¹Professor and REI Coordinator, Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics

University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31793

And

²County Extension Coordinator, Echols County, University of Georgia

Click Here to download a PDF version of file

Despite the dynamism of the Georgia fruits, vegetable and tree nuts industry, this over $2 billion industry has embraced several difficult times in the past almost two decades. Let us start with the Montreal Protocol that recommended a complete eradication of Methyl Bromide because of its toxicity to the ozone layer. Then came the Salmonella Saint Paul that affected 43 states and 1,401 people infested nationwide. Then the Thrips and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) showed up; then the Tomato Yellow Leave Curl Virus (TYLCV), then the 2017 frost that devastated over 50% of Georgia blueberries; then the 2018 Hurricane Michael devastated both specialty and row crops in South Georgia, including pecans. Still in 2018 and 2019, it was the tariff war between the U.S. and China and trade war between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, which ended up abolishing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that was created in 1994 and created the new United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement (USMCA) on September 30, 2018. Today, it is the Coronavirus also known as COVID-19. The difference between Covid-19 and the other reported incidences is that, while the others affected the specialty crop industry directly, the COVID-19 will indirectly affect the entire industry. Why? Because the COVID-19 is an airborne communicable disease and highly contagious virus that affects and causes death to human beings. Ever since COVID-19 became a pandemic, most countries including the United States have shut down their borders, Embassies and imposed travel restrictions.

Agriculture is the backbone of the state of Georgia and its economy with a farm gate value of about $14 billion. Most fruits (blueberries, strawberries, peaches, Muscadine grapes, satsuma citrus), and vegetables (pepper, squash, eggplant, cucumber, watermelon, sweet corn, greens, onions, carrots) etc., in Georgia are all handpicked, thus the need for seasonal, migrant and/or immigrant labor. These fruits and vegetables are currently getting mature in the fields in Georgia, the Southeast regions and other parts of the country. In other words, they are getting ready for harvesting and marketing. The announcement that the U.S. Embassy in Mexico will stop interviews of seasonal workers has sent another wave of panic to the existing COVID-19 pandemic fear. Common sense tells us that if this happens, chances are that there will be huge labor shortages, not only for Georgians, the Southeast region, but the entire country, especially if the decision is not reversed or relaxed in a timely manner.

In article 9112-FP from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 19CFR Chapter 1 entitled “Notification of Temporary Travel Restrictions Applicable to Land Ports of Entry and Ferries Service between the United States and Mexico” that went into effect at 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on March 20, 2020, clearly stated that this restriction will be observed until 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 20, 2020.

A shortage of migrant and/or immigrant seasonal workers caused by coronavirus will result into the following:

1.       Huge field crop loss for some handpicked fruits and vegetables as some growers may not have enough seasonal or permanent labor force to harvest their crops.

2.       Despite the anticipated seasonal and permanent worker shortages, the recommended social distancing for safety reasons will also delay the harvesting process and increase the loss incurred since these are mostly perishable food crops

3.       If this happens, Georgia may lose over $billion if hypothetically, only 50% of its specialty crops are harvested. Nationwide, the entire fresh food industry may lose $billions in crop loss given the scenario describe above.

4.       Although the U.S. exports significant amount of specialty crop to Mexico and Canada, the U.S. also imports more from these two countries than we sell to them. Thus, if the Covid-19 pandemic results in shutting down the boarders and restricting visas to migrant labor, that would deprive entry of the badly need fresh imported food from Mexico and Canada to subsidize the insufficient U.S. domestic production. That would further exacerbate the expected shortage caused by the lack of seasonal workers to handpick U.S. grown crops.

5.       The huge shortage of both domestic and imported food would affect the entire fresh food value, supply chain, and result in a nationwide food crisis.

6.       Furthermore, it would exponentially spike prices of the existing limited domestic quantity.

7.       The lack of seasonal and/or permanent labor force needed for harvesting might put enormous financial pressure on our hardworking growers and might put some out of business without any form of government assistance¹.

¹Secretary Pompeo, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, has just relaxed the H-2A policy by waiving interviews to seasonal migrant workers whose visas expired 48 month ago including those who never had an H-2 visa. The relaxed policy is aimed at mitigating the foreseen problems vis-à-vis Covid-19, seasonal workers and national food supply shortages and, eventual price hike.

For more information, contact the Georgia Extension Vegetable Team:

Esendugue Greg Fonsah, Professor, REI Coordinator and Extension Agribusiness Economist, Fruits, Vegetables and Pecans, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31793; gfonsah@uga.edu Tel: 229-386-3512

Justin Shealey, County Extension Coordinator, Echols County, 109 Courthouse Street, Statenville, GA, 31648, University of Georgia, Email: justin1@uga.edu, Tel: 229-559-5562

Posted in: Uncategorized

Estimated Cost Per Acre of Bare-Ground Vegetable Production Damaged by Hurricane Michael

October 1, 2019

By: Esendugue Greg Fonsah¹, Brian Hayes², Will Gay³, Ty Torrance⁵, Justin Shealey⁵

¹Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, ^2-5Michel Co., Colquitt Co., Grady Co., and Echols County Extension Coordinators, University of Georgia.

Click Here to download a PDF version of file

In Georgia, vegetables are grown using either the plasticulture system and/or on bare-ground. Hurricane Michael affected both cultural practices. This study focuses on the cost of bare-ground production system damage by the Hurricane. Our calculations are based on the recommendation of the Extension Vegetable Team, Vegetable Growers and County Agents in South Georgia (Table 1).

Although plasticulture has several advantages, which include higher yields, the system is much more expensive. As a result, many Georgia Growers still use bare-ground production system, which accounts for approximately 64%, equivalent to 38,000 acres of the vegetable production damaged by Hurricane Michael. Sweet corn was the largest acreage crop at approximately 15,000 acres. Producers using bare-ground production system experienced crops (particularly corn, snap beans, fresh pick, etc.) being laid over, excessive wash-out from rain of rows and field lay-out (roadways, access roads, etc.), and loss of residual fertilizer and soil fumigant. Additionally, land preparation was needed to recover fields for future planting.

Table 1: Analysis of the Estimated Costs of Bare-Ground Production Loss Due to Hurricane Michael in South Georgia, 2018.

Description	$-Total/Ac
Land structure recovery from Hurricane Michael damage¹
Tractor/driver/equipment – $17.76/A x 2 passes	$ 35.52

Land prep including mowing and harrowing under damaged plants
Tractor driver @ $15.53/hr. – ½ hr./A x 3 passes²	$ 23.30
Tractor/fuel @ $10/A x 3 passes	$ 30.00
Lime – ½ T/A – $36.50/A for soil fertility adjustments	$ 18.25
Fertilizer – 450 lb./A – $600/ton ($.30/lb.) ³	$ 135.00
Fumigant – 8 gal./A – $ 20/gal.⁴	$ 160.00

Cover crop to prevent erosion damage
Seed for cover crop – $20/A	$ 20.00
Fertilizer for cover crop – $40/A	$ 40.00
Planting – tractor/driver/fuel – $17.76/A	$ 17.76
Total Bare-ground Production Loss⁵	$ 479.83

¹Land preparation – leveling/rows/roads, etc. ²#hrs/acre depends on the size and/or HP of the tractor. ³1.5 x normal rate due to leaching loss. ⁴1.25 x normal rate due to leaching loss & pest pressure. ⁵These figures are guidelines as growers adopt different agricultural practices and obtain different prices for inputs.

To recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Michael, the following agricultural practices were needed: (a). Land preparation due to unharvested crop, (b) plant material to prevent spread of insect and disease field wash-out, and; (c). replacement of fertilizer/fumigant lost through leaching. In many cases, a cover crop was required to prevent soil erosion by water or wind. Table 1 below is an estimated breakdown economic analysis itemizing the operational recovery cost per acre for bare-ground field production damaged by Hurricane Michael.

The total cost of bare-ground production loss due to the October 10, 2018 Hurricane Michael damage in South Georgia is estimated at $479.83/acre (Table 1).

If you have further questions or need any clarification, by all means, do not hesitate to contact us via email: gfonsah@uga.edu; hayesbw@uga.edu; torrance@uga.edu; wgay5@uga.edu; bstarr@uga.edu; or justin1@uga.edu

Posted in: Uncategorized

Estimated Cost Per Acre of Removing and Replacing Plastic Mulch Damaged by Hurricane Michael in Georgia

September 27, 2019

By: Esendugue Greg Fonsah¹ and Justin Shealey²

¹Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, ²Echols County Extension Coordinator, University of Georgia, Statenville, GA.

Click Here to download a PDF version of file

After the damage caused by Hurricane Michael on October 10, 2018 for which the Georgia Vegetable industry suffered a total loss of $480 million, we decided to calculate the estimated cost/Acre of removing and replacing destroyed plastic mulch, by growers. Our calculations are based on the recommendation of the Extension Vegetable Team, information gathered from Vegetable Growers and County Agents during our multiple visits of vegetable farms in South Georgia to collect data needed to generate 2020 vegetable budgets for the state of Georgia (Table 1).

Georgia vegetables are grown either in a system called ‘plasti-culture’ or on ‘bare-ground’. There are many advantages of plasti-culture production including higher yields, but it is much more expensive than ‘bare-ground’ production. For growers using plasti-culture, a planting bed approximately 12 inches high and 3-4 feet wide covered with plastic is required. Beneath the plastic, drip lines are run for irrigation, fertilization and pesticide applications. In addition, during the process of laying the plastic mulch, the bed is fumigated for soil borne diseases and weed seeds and/or weed control.

It is important to note that Growers normally use the plastic bed for 3-4 crops before having to reshape and re-fumigate the beds, re-place the plastic and drip lines. In many cases and during our visit and assessment, Hurricane Michael damaged or destroyed the beds and plastic, requiring re-

laying of plastic, drip lines and fumigation. Table 1 below is a simplified breakdown economic analysis itemizing the operational recovery cost per acre for possible replacement of field production, plasti-culture damaged by Hurricane Michael.

Table 1: Analysis of the $-Value of Replacing Plastic Mulch Loss Due to Hurricane Michael

to the South Georgia Vegetable Industry, 2018

Description	$-Total/Ac
Removal of plant material, plastic mulch, stakes and disposal at land fill.
Removal of plastic – 4 workers @ $14.53/hr. – 2 hr./A	$ 116.24
Removal of drip tape – 2 workers @ $14.53/hr. -1 hr./A	$ 29.00
Removal of stakes – 6 workers @ $14.53/hr. – 1 hr./A	$ 87.18
Removal of string – 4 workers @ $14.53/hr. – 1 hr./A¹	$ 58.12
Mowing old plants – 1 worker @ 14.53/hr. – 1 hr./A	$ 14.53
Plus fuel	$ 9.60
Disposal at landfill –	$ 50.00
Total of Planting Material Removal	$ 364.67

Laying new plastic, land prep, materials, fertilization, fumigation, labor.
Land prep – tractor/driver/fuel – 3 tractors – $10/A	$ 30.00
Fertilizer – 300 lb./A – $600/ton ($.30/lb.)	$ 90.00
Fumigant – 135 lb./A – $4.40/lb.	$ 594.00
Plastic – 8,712 ft./A – $0.055/ft.²	$ 479.16
Tape – 8,712 ft./A – $ 0.014/ft.	$ 125.84
Tractor & Equipment to Lay plastic	$ 150.00
Labor – Fumigation/Fertilization/plastic laying: 10 workers @ $14.53/hr. – 1 hr./A	$ 145.30
Irrigation Hookup – 2 workers @ $14.53/hr. – 2 hr./A	$ 58.12
Stakes – 2200/A – $0.25/stake	$ 550.00
Labor to install stakes – 12 workers @ $14.53 – 1 hr./A	$ 174.36
Total Laying New Plastic, land-prep, material, fertilization, fumigation, labor	$ 2,396.78
Grand Total Costs³	$2,761.45 ========

¹Cost of strings are not included because that is a cost for the new crop and in normal operations, the string is lost.

²Plastic costs will be higher for tomato growers because they would need silver mulch to control White fly instead of using black mulch.

³The Grand Total Cost does not include interest rate of 6.5% used in the enterprise budgets.

The total $-value for replacing plastic mulch loss due to Hurricane Michael to the South Georgia Vegetable Industry, 2018 is estimated at $2,761.45 (Table 1).

If you have further questions or need any clarification, by all means, do not hesitate to contact us via phone 229-386-3512 or 229-559-5562 office or email: gfonsah@uga.edu or justin1@uga.edu

Posted in: Uncategorized

2019 Cotton Outlook

September 18, 2019

By Yangxuan Liu

Click to download the PDF version of this post.

In 2019, Georgia’s farmers planted 1.4 million acres of cotton, which is the third-highest planted acreage for the past decade, down 30 thousand acres from 2018. The average cotton yield is forecast at 932 pounds per acre. Production is forecast at 2.7 million bales, which would be the second-highest on record. There are three major contributing factors to the increase in cotton acres in Georgia in recent years. First, the high cotton price in 2018 encourages more cotton production for 2019. Second, the declining in commodity prices due to trade tension with China makes cotton more competitive with other row crops. Third, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 authorized seed cotton as a covered commodity and eliminated generic base and thus the eligibility for payments when planting other covered commodities on farms, such as peanut, with generic base.

U.S. upland cotton planted acreage is 13.5 million, down 319 thousand acres from 2018, but it is still the third-highest for the past decade. The 2019 U.S. upland cotton is forecast at 21.1 million bales, which is the highest on record since 2005, up 3.6 million bales from 2018. During the years with large production, U.S. cotton exports are expected to increase. However, exports to China as expected are down, and additional Chinese tariffs on U.S. cotton make U.S. cotton less competitive in the Chinese market. Exports are currently forecasted to be 16.5 million bales for the 2019 – 2020 crop year, which would be the second-highest on record after 2005 at 17.7 million bales. The U.S. ending stocks for the 2019 – 2020 crop year are expected to increase to 7.2 million bales, which is the highest ending stocks for the past decade. The increase in supply due to increasing production and ending stocks in the U.S. creates downward pressure on U.S. cotton prices.

The world cotton production is currently forecast at 124.9 million bales, which is the highest in history. World cotton use or demand has improved in recent years but the upward trend slows down for the past two years due to the uncertainty of the global economy and trade. The current world cotton consumption is forecast at 121.7 million bales. Expanding world supplies over demand has increased the global stock-to-use ratio, which is often accompanied by a fall in global cotton prices.

Several other issues make cotton profitability challenging. In Georgia, the cotton basis since the implementation of Chinese tariffs has been lower than in previous years due to the smaller shipments to China. Before the tariff on cotton was implemented, China made purchases in large quantities, and often large shipments were sent to the same destination. However, after the tariffs on cotton were implemented, the large shipments to China were replaced by smaller shipments to other importers. The change in the size of the shipments has increased transaction costs for merchants and reduced the local basis for cotton. The other issue here is that China accounts for about 40% of apparel imported by the United States, of which 30% is made of cotton. The 25% U.S. tariff on Chinese apparel makes it more expensive for U.S. consumers to buy cotton apparel, which reduces the demand for apparel. Moreover, the appreciation of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies makes our agricultural products more expensive in the export market and result in a reduction of prices.

Futures prices (Dec 19) for the 2019 crop are currently at or around 61 cents per pound. The cash prices for the current calendar year of 2019 ranges from low of 54.41 to high of 74.46 cents per pound. USDA forecasts the marketing year average price for the 2019 – 2020 crop year at 58 cents per pound, compared to the 2018 – 2019 crop year average of 70.5 cents per pound.

Posted in: Cotton
Reported Peanut Acreage in Georgia: Implications from USDA Reports

August 14, 2019

by Adam N. Rabinowitz and Walter Scott Monfort

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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released their Crop Production report on August 12, 2019. Their report forecasts 2019 harvested acres in Georgia at 590,000, down from 650,000 in 2018. The basis for this forecast comes from the Crop Acreage report on June 28, 2019 and a survey of plantings and planting intentions from early June. The NASS reported 2019 Georgia acres are 600,000 for peanuts. If in fact, 600,000 acres of peanuts were planted in 2019 in Georgia, this would represent a 10% decline from 2018 when 665,000 acres were planted. While initial forecasts are prone to error and actual behavior may differ from plantings, the current NASS estimates are substantially lower than what is seen in other available data. This has substantial implications for expected marketing for farmers as there are likely more peanut acres in Georgia headed to market this harvest than what is currently forecast by the USDA NASS.

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) also reports acreage data based on producer self-reporting for participation in government programs including the Price Loss Coverage, Marketing Assistance Loans and Market Facilitation Program (trade assistance). On August 12, 2019, FSA reported acreage data as of August 1, 2019. FSA reports 663,000 acres of peanuts in Georgia. Thus, one must ask which number is best representative of the current peanut situation.

To help answer this question, let’s take a look back at prior years. In June of 2018, NASS reported 700,000 planted acres of peanuts. The August 2018 report indicated a forecast of 690,000 harvested acres. At the same time, FSA reported 657,000 planted acres with their first release of data in August 2018. Subsequently, FSA reported the final acreage for peanuts in 2018 was 659,000. Meanwhile, NASS ended with a planted acreage of 665,000. This discrepancy is rather common as NASS will update their forecasts and FSA will not include producers who do not report acreage since they do not participate in the government programs. Therefore, one expects FSA reported acres to be lower than actual planted acres and NASS estimates to improve throughout the season. Based on this reasoning, which is commonly seen during prior years, FSA acres would be expected to be lower than NASS acres. In other words, FSA acres can also be thought of as a minimum number of acres that were actually planted during a given year.

So, for 2019, we are left with NASS reporting 600,000 planted acres and 590,000 harvested acres. While FSA is reporting 663,000 planted acres. It is highly likely that the FSA reported acreage is closer to reality and the NASS figures need to be revised upwards by more than 10%. If this holds true, we are looking at planted acres in 2019 that are very similar to the number planted in 2018. Furthermore, production estimates need to also consider about 63,000 additional acres of peanuts planted in Georgia. NASS has forecast yields for Georgia at 4,400 pounds per acre. We expect this may also be a little high at this time, although we will save the debate on yield forecasts for another time. If for now we assume the NASS yield estimates, then an additional 138,600 tons of peanuts should be expected to be available this fall. In other words, there would have been no change in production between 2018 and 2019 in Georgia. Given the continued high levels of peanut stocks, this is not going to help prices during the current growing season and any expectation of rising prices due to lower acreage in Georgia should be tempered.

References:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Crop Production, August 12, 2019.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Acreage, June 28, 2019.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, Crop Acreage Data, August 12, 2019.

Dr. Rabinowitz is an Assistant Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Georgia. Dr. Monfort is an Associate Professor and Extension Peanut Agronomist in the Crop and Soil Sciences Department at the University of Georgia.

Posted in: Marketing, Peanuts