Vidalias: The Conversation Around Georgia's Sweetest Onion Turns Sour

Vidalia, Georgia  — Vidalia onion growers can legally pack and ship onions this week. But so far the state’s agriculture commissioner doesn’t appear to be doing anything to punish a Georgia grower who admits to packing ahead of that date.

Known as the sweetest onion around, the Vidalia onion is a Georgia agricultural staple that can’t be grown anywhere else in the world. But recently, conversation about this unique Georgia vegetable has turned sour. A race to grocery store shelves has, in some cases, pushed quality standards out the door.

That’s according to Gary Black, the Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture. He issued a new rule prohibiting all farmers in the 20-county growing region from packing the onions to ship before April 21st this year, regardless of grading by federal inspectors.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Georgia Public Broadcasting