Sweet potato yields, quality on track for Country Sweet
Sweet potato yields, quality on track for Country Sweet
Cody Rose, commodity manager for Country Sweet Produce, said this year’s sweet potato crop is promising. “The crop is looking really good,” he told The Produce News in late September, adding that yields and quality are just where they should be. Rose said he expects sizing to increase as the season progresses.
The company is located in Bakersfield, CA, growing and marketing conventional and organic California produce. In addition to sweet potatoes, Country Sweet grows and markets onions, watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers, green and red cabbage and cauliflower.
The sweet potato harvest began on Aug. 31 and will continue through the first week of November. While water supplies were adequate to bring in this year’s crops, Rose said, “We’re definitely watching this more and more.”
High on the wish list is the materialization of El Niño weather patterns which would bring much-needed rain to water-parched California. Without good rainfall, Rose said the 2016 production season could be problematic for California agriculture.
Country Sweet moves sweet potatoes to all market sectors in North America. The company’s primary label, “Bako Sweet,” is a shout-out to local production in Bakersfield. Sweet potatoes are also marketed under the “Country Sweet” and “California Cowboy” labels.
The company continues to promote its Bako Sweet Microwavable Sweet Potato, packaged in a 1.5-pound microwavable bag which cooks in 10 minutes. “Bako is picking up steam,” Rose commented.