13% Bigger Sweet Potato Crop
WASHINGTON - Jan 12/18 - SNS -- Total 2017 Production of sweet potatoes in 2017 totaled 35.6 million cwt (100 pound units), up 13% from 2016, according to the USDA's final crop estimates.
Growers harvested 159,300 acres, down 2% from the previous year. Yield per acre, at a record high 224 cwt, was up 31 cwt from 2016.
Growers in North Carolina, the largest sweet potato-producing State, had a good year as indicated by the 2017 yield which tied the record set in 2014. Acreage was down due to lower prices.
Louisiana had heavy rains early in the planting season causing some fields to be re-worked or replanted. Hurricane Harvey led to rainfall events of up to 10 inches in some production areas. Harvest was delayed due to wet conditions. Although yields were negatively affected in some areas of Louisiana, the northern part did not receive as much excess rain as the mid and lower half.
Growers in Mississippi were also challenged by excessive water in many fields.
Sweet Potato Area Planted and Harvested, Yield, and Production - States and
United States: 2015-2017
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Area planted : Area harvested
State :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
: 2015 : 2016 : 2017 : 2015 : 2016 : 2017
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 acres
:
Alabama 1/ .......: 2.6 (NA) (NA) 2.5 (NA) (NA)
Arkansas .........: 4.0 (D) (D) 3.8 (D) (D)
California .......: 18.5 20.0 21.0 18.5 20.0 21.0
Florida ..........: 5.6 (D) (D) 5.4 (D) (D)
Louisiana ........: 10.0 10.0 10.0 9.0 9.5 9.5
Mississippi ......: 27.0 30.0 30.0 26.0 29.0 29.0
New Jersey 1/ ....: 1.2 (NA) (NA) 1.2 (NA) (NA)
North Carolina ...: 87.0 98.0 90.0 86.0 95.0 89.5
Texas 1/ .........: 1.0 (NA) (NA) 0.7 (NA) (NA)
:
Other States .....: - 10.1 10.6 - 9.8 10.3
:
United States ....: 156.9 168.1 161.6 153.1 163.3 159.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Yield per acre : Production
State :-----------------------------------------------------------------------
: 2015 : 2016 : 2017 : 2015 : 2016 : 2017
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ----------- cwt ----------- ---------- 1,000 cwt ---------
:
Alabama 1/ .......: 220 (NA) (NA) 550 (NA) (NA)
Arkansas .........: 195 (D) (D) 741 (D) (D)
California .......: 340 310 310 6,290 6,200 6,510
Florida ..........: 205 (D) (D) 1,107 (D) (D)
Louisiana ........: 220 160 230 1,980 1,520 2,185
Mississippi ......: 145 170 170 3,770 4,930 4,930
New Jersey 1/ ....: 140 (NA) (NA) 168 (NA) (NA)
North Carolina ...: 190 180 220 16,340 17,100 19,690
Texas 1/ .........: 100 (NA) (NA) 70 (NA) (NA)
:
Other States .....: - 183 226 - 1,796 2,331
:
United States ....: 203 193 224 31,016 31,546 35,646
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Represents zero.
(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
(NA) Not available.
1/ Estimates discontinued in 2016.
Only active subscribers can read all of this article.
If you are a subscriber, please log into the website.
If you are not a subscriber, click here to subscribe to this edition of the STAT website and to learn more about becoming a subscriber.
