RALEIGH – North Carolina farmers say they will plant 60,000 acres of sweet potatoes this year, up 5,000 acres from 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Prospective Plantings report.
North Carolina leads the nation in sweet potato production, and acreage has increased each year since 2005. Total production in 2010 was a record 9.72 million hundredweight.
N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler attributes the growth to higher demand for sweet potatoes, both domestically and internationally.
Source: N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
