VALDOSTA, Ga. – Hurricane Irma’s winds caused record damage at Ken Corbett Farms in Valdosta.
Among the damaged crops are four-week old bell pepper plants, who took an especially big hit.
“These pepper plants kind of turn into your children,” said Justin Corbett. “The wind damaged a good number of them, chopping off the top buds.”
Usually, about 100,000 boxes of peppers are produced. After Irma, this year’s crop is expected to drop by 40%.
It isn’t just the farmers who are feeling the pain post-Irma, either. Local markets are also feeling the pressure.
“A lot of the product is bad and not coming to us, which in return, means higher prices or we wont see any at all,” said John Holton of Farmer Brown’s Produce Market.
The result is leaving local farmers glued to the forecast, hoping Mother Nature doesn’t strike again.
