After three nights of sub-freezing temperatures in Georgia, agriculture officials are trying to determine just how much loss farmers across the state experienced.
Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black continued a tour of the state Friday, stopping during the morning for a phone interview with WDUN.
He was on his way to Fort Valley in Middle Georgia, where a large percentage of Georgia's peaches are grown.
"We got a little better message out of Middle Georgia than I expected...they were still talking about a marketable peach crop in Middle Georgia, so that's a little better word than devastation or some of the other terms one might use," Black said. He and other officials are to get a first-hand look at the orchards today.
Black visited Jaemor Farms in the east Hall County area Thursday. While there was some loss to the peach crop, social media posts from Jaemor indicate there will still be peaches to sell this summer.
Black, however, urged caution, saying there's still time for more cold weather.
"As these crops begin to mature, those that have survived, I fear, will be more vulnerable even to some higher temperatures," Black said.
The news for farmers in South Georgia was not as promising, with crops such as cucumbers, eggplant and bell peppers devastated by the cold. Black said the state's blueberry crop also was hard hit.
"I think we've got some real deep losses there with our rabbit-eye varieties," said Black. "Down on the Florida border with 22-degrees, that's a very difficult situation for our blueberry producers."
Georgia is one of the top blueberry-producing states in the nation, according to the University of Georgia Extension Office.
While officials said they can do some initial damage assessment now, it will take more time to get an idea of the full impact of this week's sub-freezing weather.
