East Texas farmers hopeful for this year’s peach harvest

WINONA, Texas (KETK) – After a few difficult seasons, East Texas peach farmers are hopeful that this year’s harvest will be plentiful.

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“It’s been a tough three years, so we really need a good crop to move ahead,” Larry Stein, extension horticulturist and professor at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services, said.

In 2022, East Texas farmers were faced with drought and heat, causing a late start to peaches. In 2023, there was less of fruit, this time due to a lack of chilly growing temperatures.

Hunter Sattler with Winona Orchards said it’s been hard on their farm.

“I think we’re going on about four bad years. Generally, the rule is two bad years for every good year, so we’re hoping that this is going to not be one of those years,” Sattler said. “When you have all the expense and no return, you know, a couple of years in a row, it gets difficult.”

He added that now there may be an end in sight for their troubles, thanks to the mild winter East Texas just experienced.

“We have the chill hours we need and we have a lot of blooms on trees,” Sattler said.

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After the freeze at the beginning of the week, now is the time to see what will continue to bloom and what may have died.

“The blooms, some of them made it, some of the buds haven’t even opened, and so there will be a wide range of effect,” Sattler said.

The farmers hope that the latest freeze won’t hurt the season and that they’ll have a big crop to harvest.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that it’s going to be a good year,” said Stein.

Now they just have to get the peaches through upcoming spring storms.

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