Green bean prices are high, says one Florida vegetable farmer. They could remain that way, depending on how Georgia’s crop looks amid a wet winter and early spring.
Since the crop does not prefer a lot of rainfall, it could be limited in Georgia, says Alan Jones, who produces potatoes, green beans in citrus in Manatee County, Florida.
“Green beans don’t like a lot of water, either, so we’ve quite a bit of green bean damage in our crop. We’ve had to abandon some acreage, but some of it’s been good. I would imagine with all of the water they’ve had in Georgia, I imagine (prices) will stay high for the foreseeable future,” Jones said. “When you get too much rain and the next day it’s 85 degrees and the sun’s beating down on it, those plants will quit.”
According to the US Drought Monitor, there is sufficient moisture in South-Central Florida where Jones is located. Moisture has not been a problem in Manatee County, Florida.
“It’s nice to get an inch, inch and a half; all of that’s fine and dandy, but when you get 2 to 3 inches of rain on a weekly basis, it’s just too much,” Jones said.
South Georgia also has sufficient moisture, which has been the case all year due to excessive winter rains. A lot of green beans are produced in the Southwest Georgia area, around Donaldsonville. But if there is a lack of a crop, that should keep prices elevated.
Weather played a role in Jones’ green bean production stemming back to Hurricane Eta in November. It forced Jones to replant part of his crop.