CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 05/30/02

Insurance Variances Plague Onion Growers

Shad Dasher had catastrophic insurance coverage on his Vidalia onion crop, which pays a maximum of 70 percent of the crop's market value per acre.

With 95 percent of his crop ruined, the insurance would have given Dasher $1,800 an acre had the damage happened in the last phase of onion production, near harvest time.

Dasher's insurance adjuster, however, ruled that the damaged happened earlier, around a late frost, which means he will get only $1,080 an acre. That won't cover the cost of his fertilizer, he said.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Tattnall County, Kelly Folsom said he lost 70 percent of his crop but will be reimbursed for most of his costs. His crop was figured to have been damaged in the final production stage.

Reid Torrance, the Tattnall County extension coordinator with the University of Georgia Extension Service, says the discrepancy between insurance companies is one of the issues making federal disaster relief a necessity for southeast Georgia onion farmers.

"The lucky ones may get their production costs back," he said. "But they will be the ones in the minority. That's why the growers are petitioning to get some kind of emergency relief."

The number of Vidalia onion farmers has been declining in recent years. "If we don't get any aid," Torrance said, "I'm afraid we're going to have even less onion growers than we had this year."

Torrance said several meetings have already taken place with Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) and Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) to try to get federal aid for the onion farmers.

There have also been discussions in the state legislature about standardizing the production stages insurance companies use to decide the amount of damages they pay a farmer.

As it stands, Torrance said, the criteria vary among companies. They can become even more arbitrary with the interpretations of individual adjusters.

Merritt Melancon is a public relations manager with UGA's Terry College of Business and previously served as a public relations coordinator for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension.

Experts/Sources:
Reid Larry Torrance
Shad Dasher
Kelly Folsom
A new UGA study found that children improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches. CAES News
UGA study shows all students benefit from healthy school lunches 04/24/24 Erica P. Techo
School lunches have come a long way from square pizza and fish sticks, and students across the board are benefiting from improved nutritional standards in the cafeteria. A new study from the University of Georgia found that children from all walks of life improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches following the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act nutritional guidelines instead of home-prepared lunches.
Jeffrey Dean (center), assistant provost and campus director for UGA-Griffin, with 2024 Classified Employee Award recipients Daniel Nordstrom (left) and Kenny Corley. (Photos by Ashley Biles) CAES News
Corley, Nordstrom named UGA-Griffin 2024 Classified Employees of the Year 04/23/24 Ashley N Biles
The University of Georgia Griffin campus recently named Kenny Corley and Daniel Nordstrom the 2024 Classified Employees of the Year. The designation was made at the 35th annual Employee Recognition Ceremony held April 3. The Employee of the Year award is presented to classified personnel who have made a significant impact on programs at UGA-Griffin through superior job knowledge and performance, work attitude, initiative, dependability and time management.
A Master Gardener with UGA Extension teaches a class at the GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs 04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
uga commencement CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation 04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
A student harvests red clover at UGArden. CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 04/15/24 David Mitchell
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.