The State of South Carolina Peaches

Sure, Georgia is called "The Peach State," but South Carolina peaches are more plentiful. In fact, South Carolina produces more peaches than Georgia. According to South Carolina Department of Agriculture statistics, South Carolina produces about 90,000 tons of peaches a year from roughly 18,000 acres of peach orchards. That's compared to Georgia's also impressive, but not nearly as high, 40,000 tons. The top states for peach production are California, which is by far the most, followed by South Carolina, Georgia and New Jersey. That said, what's the state of South Carolina peaches one year after one of its worst seasons?

Farmers in South Carolina told Wyff4.com last year that they had the second bad peach season in a row for the state and the worst season since the 1990s. They also report that in Campobello, Peach Country farm only had 10% of its trees producing fruit in 2023. "We might find a tree with some peaches on it and so pick those and sell those. And just make do as we can," said Connie Hyder, whose family owns Peach Country, told Wyff4.com.

That trend is in line with others. Georgia lost more than 90% of their crops for 2023 after unusually warm weather during the 2022-2023 winter and a late-season freeze. These numbers are according to Dario Chavez, an associate professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia, who spoke with CNN about the bad season.

So, what happened last year with the peach crop, and why was it so bad? "The problem was exacerbated when late-season cold temperatures swept across the Southeast," CNN reports. Some varieties of peaches were already blooming in March, but then "the freeze damaged and destroyed a number of the early flowers," they added. It's wild to think about just how many peach crops got destroyed. It's heartbreaking, so farmers are hoping for a turnaround in the coming seasons. However, Brad Rippey, a meteorologist with the US Department of Agriculture, tells CNN that "warm winters followed by a spring freeze have become more common in recent years."

Thankfully, this year appears to be a different story. According to WBTV.com, farmers in Lincoln County "are concerned but hopeful about the weather. While temperatures in the 30s could cause some damage, they do not think it would be enough to cause widespread issues." That's a good thing. Also, Ajc.com reports that "a late cold snap appears to have spared Georgia's blueberries, peaches and citrus after a disastrous season last year."