The North Carolina sweet potato harvest will be delayed due to unusual weather events during the spring and summer. State growers speculate that there could be a significant decrease in volumes compared to last year’s high yields.
The sweet potato transplant was delayed by a cooler and wetter-than-normal May that resulted in a 10% decrease in acreage from 2012 to 2013.
As North Carolina’s sweet potatoes are generally grown in sandy soils, the fields drain relatively rapidly. Warm, dry days on the horizon will help the crop recover. Growers are now implementing plans to address a later harvest window in October instead of the normal months of August and September.
This is not the state’s first rodeo. North Carolina has withstood hundreds of unfavorable weather events and its growers are sure to rebound.
“At this time, the industry needs everyone from our fellow farmers, employees, and purchasers of our product to lend a helping hand as we work towards a sufficient harvest,” said the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission in a release.
North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission
