US (NC): Rain compromises sweet potato season
“The rain is going to cause a lot of delays, and it will take a minimum of one week after the rain stops for the fields to clear up,” said Steven Ceccarelli of Farm Fresh Produce. “If we're lucky, we'll have about three weeks of harvest before the frost comes in.” He estimated that only about 20 percent of the state's sweet potato crop has been harvested. Because many fields are under water and will have rotting potatoes, he thinks yields this year will be down significantly.
"Steven Ceccarelli from Farm Fresh Produce, Inc., is looking forward to filling up storage bins with remainder of crop."
“People will try to harvest as much as they can even if the weather is not favorable,” said Ceccarelli. “Some are fortunate enough to be on sandy soil, where the water can dissipate, but others, who have a lot of harvesting to do, could get frustrated and put tractors in the field even if they get stuck. Everybody's in a different situation, so we'll just have to wait and see.” It's clear that yields will be down significantly, it's just a matter of how low they'll go.
For more information:
Steven A. Ceccarelli
Farm Fresh Produce
Tel: +1 910-508-8933
Email: steven@farm-fresh-produce.com
www.farm-fresh-produce.com