COLUMBIA — South Carolina growers, along with officials from the state Department of Agriculture, officially kicked off the produce season by introducing a new crop — the new Palmetto Sweet onion — Friday morning at the Clayton Rawl Farm in Lexington County.
The onions offer a sweeter taste and are similar to Vidalia onions grown in Georgia. The new onions will feature the “Certified SC Grown” label.
“Consumers have shown that they do prefer local products and we’re trying to help them better identify those products in the marketplace,” said Martin Eubanks, director of marketing for the S.C. Department of Agriculture. “We want people to look for those onions. We want them to look for our other fresh fruits and vegetables and other South Carolina grown items in the stores.”
A number of retailers, including Piggly Wiggly and IGA, already have agreed to sell the new sweet onions.
“We’re big supporters of South Carolina produce ... we buy everything we can here,” said Stan Ahl, produce director for Piggly Wiggly in the Carolinas. “Customers are very aware of where the product is coming from and they demand South Carolina-grown when it’s available.”
Farmers in five counties on more than 60 combined acres are growing the onions.
“All of us are very excited about it,” said Jeff Sandifer, vice president of the South Edisto Growers in Barnwell County. “We’ve been looking for an alternative to the row crops (such as peanuts or corn) for a while now, to get into more of a niche market.”
Sandifer said his farmers had to learn how to grow the sweet onions, with help from officials at Clemson University, because the crop needs a lot more attention and care. He even traveled to Georgia to learn from the growers there.
“We really had to do our homework. There’s a lot of studying that goes into it and talking with other growers,” he said.
Officials said they hope to increase the number of acres used to grow the onions next year, eventually taking the “grown in South Carolina” brand outside of the state.
“Time will tell how far we can take the label,” Eubanks said. “We’re excited about where the program can go.”
He said state grown products featuring the “Certified SC Grown” label are already being sold outside the state by vendors as far away as West Virginia and New York.
“Right now the Vidalia onion is real strong and I think the consumers here in South Carolina will appreciate a local onion,” Ahl said. “I’ve tried these onions and to me they’re better than Vidalia, which is a great onion.”
The growers also are optimistic for the success of the new crop.
“I feel that if a housewife goes into a grocery store in South Carolina and sees a Vidalia onion next to a South Carolina-grown sweet onion, she’s going to go for the South Carolina sweet onion every time. I really believe that,” Sandifer said.
Officials said they will begin harvesting the onions over the next two weeks.
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