Explore the sweet potatoes industry in Florida.
The sweet potatoes industry is fast growing, thanks to a desire for healthy, flavorful food from consumers. The nutritional value of the sweet potato is its claim to fame, making the vitamin-rich starchy root an everyday ingredient. The Southeast leads the country in growing sweet potatoes, and Florida grows its fair share. Explore the statistics on the Florida sweet potato and the industry.
Sweet Potatoes Statistics
The sweet potato industry is a growing one. According to the sweet potato publication on the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AGMRC) website, consumption of sweet potatoes increased almost 80 percent from 2000 to 2014. On average, we eat 7.5 pounds per annually. The sweet potato’s high vitamin and fiber content make the root a desirable dish.
To stay up with demand, U.S. sweet potato growers grew 3.1 billion pounds of the potatoes in 2015, according to a USDA blog. Additionally, sweet potato farms acreage has increased as well, increasing from 95,000 acres in 2000 to 135,000 acres in 2015.
Florida’s Sweet Potatoes Industry
The Southeast’s long, hot summers are just what the sweet potato needs as it requires at the very least 150 frost-free days. While other states lead in sweet potato production, Florida is ranked fifth in growing sweet potatoes; it’s a decent ranking as many states grow these popular tubers. Additionally, states with port access, like Florida, will continue to see rising sweet potato exports.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.
Images courtesy of Mike Mozart.
