North Carolina suppliers continue sweet potato dominance
North Carolina was by far and away the No. 1 state in fresh sweet potato shipments in 2021, according to USDA data.
North Carolina’s truck shipments of sweet potatoes in 2021 totaled 13.11 million 40-pound cartons, according to the USDA. That represented about two-thirds of all U.S. sweet potato shipments in 2021.
Excluding important production states such as Arkansas, the USDA only tracks sweet potato shipments from California, Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina.
After North Carolina, Mississippi ranked second in fresh shipments in 2021, accounting for about 2.93 million 40-pound cartons, according to USDA data.
California ranked third, with 2.19 million 40-pound cartons. Finally, Louisiana’s fresh sweet potato shipments were 880,000 cartons in 2021, the USDA said.
Total 2021 U.S. fresh sweet potato shipments from the four reported states were 19.35 million 40-pound cartons, down 4% from 20.06 million cartons in 2020 and also off 4% from 20.11 million cartons in 2019, the USDA said.
In 2021, about 12% of total U.S. annual sweet potato shipments were moved in November, followed in importance by March (10%) and May (10%). The slowest months for sweet potato shipments in 2021 were August (5%) and September (6%).
The average U.S. shipping point price for sweet potatoes was reported at $19.88 per carton in August this year, down slightly from $20.63 per carton at the same time the previous year.
Average fob prices for U.S. sweet potatoes
(conventional, average per carton)
2021
- January $19.19
- February $19.19
- March $19.23
- April $18.98
- May $17.66
- June $16.08
- July $15.16
- August $20.63
- September $20.09
- October $18.06
- November $17.88
- December $18.56
2022
- January $18.24
- February $18.36
- March $19.82
- April $20.08
- May $19.81
- June $19.80
- July $19.72
- August $19.88
Source: USDA
