<p> The U.S. sweet potato market is seeing increasing demand going into crucial summer months like June and July, but supplies are especially tight considering the drought in California. Since demand is up this year, prices on sweet potatoes are increasing.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Growers tell AndNowUKnow that prices are currently sitting at 17-18 on US No. 1 compared to 15-16 last year, noting that there’s much higher demand and supplies this year. Usually 60-70% of the crop is US No. 1s. In general, we are told that everyone is up on pricing. Mississippi is at around 18-18.5, while California’s price range is at 19-20 because of certain varieties and organic versus conventional options.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Although the price structure is already a few dollars higher than last year, the price will begin to rise as supplies tighten in June and July.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">For North Carolina, growers tell us that acreage is down 10% because of heavy rain conditions during spring and the ground couldn’t be prepared in time. However, the 2013/2014 harvest began earlier and the volume for North Carolina potatoes is ahead by about 1.5%.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Mike Duarte, one of the founders of D&S Farms in Atwater, California, tells AndNowUKnow that he’s seeing great movement for the category and demand is high. “We’re fighting now to see if we can get more rain and snow in California,” says Duarte, commenting on the drought’s effect on the 2014 crop. He mentions that although the crop is in storage now, supplies are limited going into summer months.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Aaron Silva, Vice President at Doreva Produce, tells us that the west coast is currently short on red potato varieties, while the east coast is short on orange. “There’s steady movement in the market and California is seeing steady acreage as well,” he says. “Everyone’s in the trenches now.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for continuous updates on the market.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
