“We are running as much as two weeks late on some of our crops this spring,” Dug Schwalls, director of sales for Southern Valley Fruit & Vegetable Inc., headquartered in Norman Park, GA, told The Produce News. “We were faced with heavy rain during the planting season leaving the soil so wet that it set us behind. The late cold snaps only added to the crops being late.”

When he spoke to The Produce News on April 21, Schwalls said that the weather had improved and that the crops looked healthy. Unless other weather issues ensue the company was looking forward to good quality crops.

Southern Valley’s squash is scheduled to start May 10 to 15, and cucumbers are due to begin on May 20. Peppers and eggplant are on its lineup to start on June 1, followed by sweet corn on June 20.

Schwalls noted that other growers in Georgia are also reporting late crops-some as much as three weeks later than normal.

“The late movement may mean a weakened market,” he pointed out. “The Carolinas, Georgia and what is still coming out of Florida will likely all come on together, and that likely affect market conditions for us all.”

Southern Valley grows and packs its own product. Besides the aforementioned items, the company also grows green beans, zucchini, 12 types of specialty peppers, pickles, green, red and Savoy cabbage, blueberries, hard squashes, tomatoes and Romaine, red and green leaf lettuces.

It grows in Georgia in the spring and fall. In the summer it moves to Pikeville, TN, and during the winter it produces in Yucatan, Mexico. It also produces bell peppers in Immokalee, FL, in the winter. The combination of growing regions gives the company the ability to provide year round supplies to its customers, which include retailers, foodservice operators and wholesalers. The company’s fresh produce is distributed across the U.S. and into Canada under the “Southern Valley” label.

Last year Southern Valley increased its tomato production considerably, and Schwalls said it is maintaining the increase this year. It also had installed a new packing line at its Georgia operation.

“The new line was developed to minimize scuffing and damage on yellow squash,” he explained. “We began using it last spring and fall, but since then we have completely revamped it to improve the process. We are now experimenting with some new packaging for the squash, but in the meantime we continue to offer bulk boxes and reusable plastic containers.”

Schwalls noted that it was too far out for the company to know when Georgia will wrap up this year.

“It depends on the market and on the heat,” he said. “If it gets really hot fast, we’ll have to wrap up. But if the market is glutted, that could also force Georgia growers to wrap up early. It’s just a wait and see issue at this point.”

Southern Valley is Primus Global Food Sourcing-certified and it is food-safety-certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The company is a major supporter of locally grown programs. Schwalls said that consumers today want to know who grew their food and how it was handled.

“Some retailers use our family information to help promote their locally grown programs,” he said. “We see this as a highly positive and strongly growing trend. It’s one that Southern Valley fits into perfectly, and it benefits everyone from the grower to the consumer.”