Initial Vidalia sweet onion shipments from Southeast Georgia got underway April 16th, despite an order from the Georgia Agricultural Commissioner that loadings would not be allowed before today — April 21st. Bland Farms, the nation’s largest sweet onion shipper has been in a legal battle with Georgia over a starting date for Vidalia sweet onion shipments. However, The Superior Court of Fulton County, GA has declared the April 21st start day void, so the rest of the Georgia sweet onion industry may or may not have started shipping before April 21st. From a hauling stand point, it may not matter that much, since it will be the first half of May before there is good volume.
The whole onion “war” pits most Vidalia shippers and the Georiga Ag Department against Bland Farms. Supporters of the fixed starting date feel the extra time will allow the onions to mature and reduce chances of shipping poor quality, hot tasting onions, that hurts the reputation of the the Vidalia name.
Delbert Bland, owner of Bland Farms told this writer last winter that he should be able to ship sweet onions prior to the April 21st date, because part of his 3,000 acres of onions are in the southern most part of the 20-county region in Georgia. This is located where these onions can be legally grown, and is in this southern most area where onions mature earlier than other areas.