Georgia Agricultural Resources: Commodity Facts

Vidalia Onions

The Vidalia onion is a Georgia-grown, yellow granex hybrid known for its sweet, mild flavor.
About 140 growers cultivate Vidalia onions on 14,386 acres. About 104 handlers grade, pack and distribute Vidalias.
An average of 300, 50-pound bags are produced per acre.
The 2001harvest was valued at $70.5 million
3.6 million onions were sold at the end of the 2001 growing season.
About 70 percent of the Vidalia crop is distributed through grocery stores as a specialty item. The remaining 30 percent is distributed through roadside stands and mail order businesses and as an added-value product.
Generally recognized Vidalia onion sizes are small (1 to 21/4 inches), medium (2 to 33/4 inches) and large or jumbo (3 inches or larger).
Vidalia onions are harvested from late April through mid-June. Retailers usually have fresh Vidalia onions available through mid-July. Controlled atmosphere storage research makes Vidalia onions available through December.
Farmers plant Vidalia onions from September through February. About 70,000 plants are produced per acre.
Vidalia's delicate nature requires that they be harvested by hand, thoroughly dried and treated gently during grading and packaging.