Sweetpotato growers throughout the South are gearing up for an on-time late-August/early-September harvest, and most anticipate abundant supplies with high quality.
Kornegay Family Farms
In North Carolina, the nation’s largest sweetpotato producer with 71,000 acres, Princeton-based Kornegay Family Farms & Produce planned to start its harvest by the end of August, says Kim K. LeQuire, co-owner.
“We have had a good growing season, especially compared to last year, but we fully realize things can change at any moment this time of year,” she says, citing several hurricanes that pounded the region in recent years.
“We will probably start out slow, with just a few hours each day, and that will inform us as to the shape and size of the potatoes,” she says.
After that, the company will decide whether it will move full-speed ahead or give the potatoes a little more time to size up before the major harvest push from mid-September through October.
“My father, Danny Kornegay, compares tater digging to uncovering buried treasure — not knowing exactly what you will get until you start uncovering what is below the surface,” LeQuire says.
The company has been growing sweetpotatoes for more than 70 years and has been packing them since 2007.
Nash Produce
The crew at Nash Produce LLC, Nashville, N.C., was nervous in mid-August about the impact Hurricane Erin might have on its sweetpotato crop; though heavy flooding was reported along the coast, the company’s crop only had to deal with some rainfall, says Robin Narron, marketing director.
Harvest started the week of Aug. 18.
“We’re looking forward to the new, upcoming crop,” she says.
Narron hoped the firm would be able to kick off harvest as much as a month earlier than usual to try to make up for the loss of as much as 30% of last year’s crop because of excessive rainfall. The company packs and ships sweetpotatoes for 70 growers
“Everything looks good right now,” she said in late August. “Everything is sizing up well.”
Matthews Ridgeview Farms
In Arkansas, with about 6,300 acres of sweetpotatoes, Wynne-based Matthews Ridgeview Farms has expanded its storage facilities and continues to add acreage as its customer base grows, says Autumn Campbell, sales manager.
The company, which ships sweetpotatoes year-round, expected to begin its 2025 harvest by early September, as usual, and continue until mid-October.
The region experienced more than 20 days of rain in May followed by extremely hot weather and a dry period, Campbell says. Much-needed rainfall returned in August as harvest approached.
“The new crop quality looks good so far,” she said in late August, “and storage quality has held well overall with minimal issues.”
Potatoes were sizing up nicely, she adds.
Volume at Matthews Ridgeview Farms should be up this season compared to last year.
“We no longer have a ‘slow’ period,” Campbell says. “We have continued to ship consistently all year.”
Prices this year should remain similar to last year, she says.
Though the company grows beauregard, Covington and murasaki sweetpotatoes, most of its acreage is beauregards.
“The beauregard has continued to be preferred for consumers,” Campbell says. “It grows beautifully in Arkansas soil, and it tastes delicious.”
It’s preferred by growers as well.
“For the farmer, the beauregard is a favorite due to its adaptability, great storage ability, high yields, versatility for fresh market as well as processing and its resistance to disease,” she says.
Other Regions
Louisiana will grow about 6,000 acres of sweetpotatoes this year, maybe a slight increase over 2024, explains Rene Simon, president of the Louisiana Sweet Potato commission.
Growers are optimistic, he says. “We think we’ve got a good crop coming.”
Harvesting should begin around Labor Day.
The popularity of Mississippi sweetpotatoes is on the rise, says Caleb Englert, president of the Mississippi Sweet Potato Council.
The state has about 30,000 acres of the spuds, he says.
“Sweetpotatoes are the most nutritious vegetable you can get,” he says. “They hit all your tally marks on being healthy.”
Many of Mississippi’s sweetpotatoes are produced on family farms by growers who put a lot of love into their crop and are supportive of the local communities, Englert says. “Packinghouses do a great job across the board.”
Looking westward, California’s sweetpotato acreage is expected to be down slightly this year to about 18,500 acres because of rising input costs, says Sarah Alvernaz, California Sweetpotato Council marketing chair and general manager for California Sweet Potato Growers.
Approximately 50% of the Golden State’s acreage is red and orange varieties, 25% is white varieties and 25% is purple sweetpotatoes.
“We are still early in harvest,” she said in late August, “but quality is looking great, and we are looking forward to a good marketing year.”
