Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper has officially declared July as “Georgia Grown Watermelon Month,” celebrating one of the state’s signature summer crops and the farmers who grow it.
Harper said Georgia is the nation’s second-largest producer of watermelons, behind only Florida.
“Our state is the number two producer of watermelons in the nation.”
He said Georgia produces about 65 million pounds of watermelons each year, generating more than $220 million in farm gate value.
Harper said this year’s watermelon crop is looking good and encouraged Georgians to support local farmers by purchasing Georgia-grown watermelons.
“Our watermelons are known all over the U.S. for their quality.”
He said approximately 35,000 acres of Georgia farmland are dedicated to watermelon production.
Harper also noted that Cordele is home to the “Watermelon Capital of the World,” where more than 200 million pounds of watermelon are grown each year.
“You can visit georgiagrown.com to find those Georgia grown watermelons near you. We want to encourage folks to do that, to support our local farmers, and our farm families across the state.”
WSB Radio’s Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story.
