Mar 25, 2020

Vidalia onions’ ship date set in mid-April

The Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Vidalia Onion Committee recently set the official pack date for what is marketed as “America’s favorite sweet onion.”

April 16 is the 2020 official pack date for Vidalia onions. The pack date is determined by soil and weather conditions during the growing season that help ensure only the highest quality Vidalia onions, known for their sweet, mild flavor, are shipped to stores, according to a press release from Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black.

“As the keeper of the official trademark for our state vegetable, we are proud of the reputation Vidalia onions have earned around the world by both renowned chefs and home cooks,” Black said in the release.

Hand-cultivated by 60 registered growers in 20 southeastern Georgia counties, the date the unique onion ships is an annual rite of spring because it is only available for a short period of time each year, according to the release.

“We are going to have a strong harvest this year,” said Aries Haygood, the newly-elected chairman of the Vidalia Onion Committee. He said 9,400 acres of Vidalia onions were planted for the season.

The Vidalia Onion Committee is continuing its “Sweet Life” marketing campaign launched last year, according to the release.

“The campaign has enabled us to elevate our brand with broad groups of consumers who value good taste and living well,” Haygood said.

Vidalia onions represent about 40 percent of the sweet onion market in the country and are sold in every state, according to the release. The Vidalia trademark is owned by the state of Georgia because of the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986. To be considered a Vidalia onion, the vegetables must be cultivated in the South Georgia soil from a distinctive Granex seed and packed and sold on or after the official pack date each year.