The N.C. Potato Association is asking commercial Irish potato growers to take part in a referendum that will determine whether the state's assessment program for research and marketing should continue. The program directs grower-funded assessments toward research, crop management initiatives, and promotional work intended to support the state's potato sector.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said the vote allows growers to decide whether they want to maintain the coordinated effort that has been in place. The program funds research projects with North Carolina State University, works on crop protection and fertility management practices, and outreach intended to maintain visibility for North Carolina potatoes in regional markets. Funds are also used to evaluate emerging production challenges and new varieties.
At the November meeting of the N.C. Board of Agriculture, N.C. Potato Association president Hunter Gibbs formally requested support for the referendum, which received approval for the 2025–2031 assessment period.
Ballots will be mailed to growers in Beaufort, Camden, Chowan, Hyde, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Tyrrell, and Washington counties. Approval from two-thirds of voting growers is required to continue the six-year program. The referendum, scheduled for Nov. 24, will ask growers whether to maintain the current assessment rate of one cent per hundred-weight of potatoes sold.
North Carolina is one of the major suppliers of chipping potatoes on the U.S. East Coast, with production serving processors and regional fresh markets. The referendum will determine whether industry funding for research and market activity will continue through 2031.
For more information:
Matthew Lus-Jurutka
NCDA&CS
Tel: +1 919 707 3118
Email: [email protected]
www.ncagr.gov
