60% of U.S. sweet potatoes are grown in Eastern North Carolina, but farmers there have seen yields decimated now by two hurricanes. Heavy rains saturated fields just ahead of harvest. Hines Family Farms near Selma says early estimates put losses around 15%. Farmers say they won’t know for sure how much damage is in the field until the potatoes are harvested and packed. The biggest issue may show up later in the form of a shorter storage life. Our thanks to North Carolina Farm Bureau for helping with this report.
Losses Reported to North Carolina’s Sweet Potato Crop
60% of U.S. sweet potatoes are grown in Eastern North Carolina, but farmers there have seen yields decimated now by two hurricanes.
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