As Hurricane Francine makes landfall, sweet potato growers in both Louisiana and Mississippi are thinking about a key hurricane byproduct: rain.
At Topashaw Farms Packing in Vardaman, Mississippi, it's heavy rainfall that has the grower concerned. "We have been very dry here," says Lindsey Edmondson. "We are actually in a drought and it has not rained here in about eight weeks. So the heavy rains and excessive rainfall could be detrimental to our sweet potatoes if we get three to five inches of rain."
Edmonson says heavy rains and excessive rainfall could be detrimental to its sweet potatoes if it gets three to five inches of rain. Photo: Topashaw Farms Packing
Topashaw began harvesting on August 26th and still has some 2,400 acres to go. "We are currently working longer days to try to harvest all we can before the rain hits and praying that we do not get too much. Too much rain on sweet potatoes can cause them to rot in the ground. If that happens we will have a short crop," says Edmondson.
Louisiana sweet potato production
In Iota, Louisiana, Matt Garber of Garber Farms is less concerned. "It's missing us where we are, even though we're only 50-something miles from the coast because it's going to be to the west of us," he says.
Garber assumes his region won't receive rain via Hurricane Francine. Photo: Garber Farms
He says that should rain arrive in its region, where harvest is also underway, that would be welcomed. "We could actually use some rain and we assume we're not going to get it at this point, though I know there will be rain bands in different parts of the state," he says. "The flooding rains will be more on the east side of the state and there's no production over there."
For more information:
Lindsey Edmondson
Topashaw Farms Packing
https://www.topashaw.com/
Matt Garber
Garber Farms
www.garberfarm.com