“The weather in Louisiana has been great for this year’s sweet potato crop,” Rene Simon, executive director of the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission, headquartered in Baton Rouge, LA, told The Produce News in mid-August. “Overall it’s been a really good growing season for our producers.”

He said that the crop was planted a little late due to cool and wet weather, so bedding was delayed a little.

“But we’re not complaining,” he stressed. “Our acreage is at between 8,500 and 9,000 acres, and as much as 1,500 acres more than last year. We’re really excited about this crop. We’ve had favorable rains. It’s not been an overly hot summer — the highest temperature on record was 94 degrees — and we’ve had nice cool nights.”

Those “favorable” rains are also highly beneficial to producers because they lower the cost of irrigation.

Despite all the good news, Simon knows to keep his excitement in check, noting, “We just keep our fingers crossed until the potatoes are inside.”

Harvesting in Louisiana was projected to start in late August to early September, and at the latest by Labor Day. Growers wrap up their harvests, depending on the weather, by late October or even a little into November.

Simon said that there is also excitement over some new sweet potato varieties.

“This is the third year we will have commercial volumes of the Orleans, a managed variety,” he said. “It’s a great variety in that it gives us more No. 1-size potatoes for the fresh market, and it has all of the qualities of the Beauregard in appearance and flavor. But it produces a more uniform set. Growers get more money on the fresh market than they do on the processing side.”

The Beauregard, however, continues to be the leading variety grown in Louisiana.

Yet another exciting unfolding related to Louisiana sweet potatoes is that Black Gold Farms, a global production, sales and service operation specializing in potatoes, which is headquartered in Grand Forks, ND, has been in the state’s sweet potato market for the past few years.

“The company came to Louisiana to grow sweet potatoes for ConAgra and they will be in the fresh market,” said Simon. “The company purchased Dawson Farms in Dehli this past March and they plan to become a major player in the sweet potato industry. This brings great new energy to production in our state.”

Other than to Canada, Louisiana growers do not export potatoes to foreign countries. Simon did point out that there is interest in expanding markets in conjunction with other sweet potato growing states through the American Sweet Potato Marketing Institute, of which Simon is the secretary. Sue Johnson-Langdon, affectionately known as “Sweet Sue,” the executive director of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission in Smithfield, NC, is the treasurer.

“We are looking into acquiring U.S. Department of Agriculture funding for generic sweet potato exports,” said Simon. “The institute has so far concentrated mostly in Europe, but it is now looking at Mexico, South and Central America as an export markets.

“We also know that the USDA is interested in trying to develop more products for school lunches and food banks that put more ‘orange’ on plates at these institutes,” he added.

Simon said that it’s a fact — sweet potato demand continues to grow year after year.

“What is really exciting is the variety of ways sweet potatoes are being used today,” he said. “People now recognize them as a powerhouse of nutrition, and they’re also delicious.”