North Carolina potato growers ready to serve fresh, chipper markets

North Carolina’s potato growers will deliver big volume of fresh and chipping potatoes this summer in a relatively short marketing period.

Much of the state’s potato production is located near Elizabeth City in the northeast coastal part of the state, said Thomas Fleetwood Jr., marketing supervisor with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and executive director of the North Carolina Potato Association.

The bulk of the state's crop is grown within about 100 miles off the coast, he said.

Most growers began planting their potato fields in mid-February and concluded by the end of March, he said. Harvest usually kicks in about mid-June and goes through the month of July.

“We had good weather as planting conditions, and then we’ve had pretty decent weather,” Fleetwood said,  except for a cold snap in late April that brought a touch of frost. “The crop is looking crop is looking really nice for the guys here.”

The USDA does not report acreage for North Carolina potatoes, but Fleetwood said the area harvested typically runs close to 16,000 acres, with variations up or down depending on chip market needs.

North Carolina grows red, yellow and white potatoes for fresh use, and growers also plant potato varieties demanded by chip processors. About 30% of the state’s output goes for fresh or table stock, while about 70% of the crop goes to the chip market, Fleetwood said.

Last year, the USDA said North Carolina shipped about 820,000 pounds of round red potatoes from June through August, with peak shipments in July. North Carolina yellow potato shipments in 2021 totaled 4.12 million pounds in June and July, with July accounting for about two-thirds of shipments.

Following the new crop harvest in Florida’s Hastings region, fresh North Carolina potatoes are shipped up and down the East Coast and sometimes into Canada, Fleetwood said.

North Carolina fresh potatoes can be harvested, graded, packed, cooled and shipped to the market within 48 hours, he said.

The new potatoes — there is no storage for potatoes in the state — have a bright, thin skin and have great eye appeal, he said.
 
Association push

The North Carolina Potato Association, funded through self-assessment of growers was established in 1928, making it the oldest commodity organization in the state and one of the oldest potato organizations in the U.S., Fleetwood said. The group’s mission is to promote the state’s potato industry through research, marketing, advertising and education.

The organization promotes North Carolina through trade shows in the U.S. and Canada, trade media advertising, and other outreaches. The group also has an annual meeting; this year the 92th annual meeting of the North Carolina Potato Association is set for May 15-16.

The event draws potato growers, buyers, and agribusiness professionals. The event features a bus tour of growing areas and dinners with buyers and growers, he said.