Fall produce programs are underway and while North Carolina is still shipping some of 2023's sweet potatoes, digging has begun on the 2024 crop. "Though most of North Carolina is behind, depending on geography," says Matt Solana, VP of operations/supply chain with the Jackson Farming Company.
That's due to a mix of weather conditions throughout the growing season. "We had high heat and drought through the end of June and then almost 40 inches of water July 1st through August 8th. Then Tropical Storm Debby hit us in early August," says Solana. "That's a lot of water. We went from drought and heat to a lot of water."
Collectively that means that while digging has started, it is behind on the 2024 crop. Jackson Farming has also planted more sweet potatoes this year and is up in acreage. "Overall North Carolina is a bit higher than last year acreage-wise though we won't fully know until everybody is digging and we get a true number," Solana says. "It will be a lot of digging when we have good weather and it's dry in the fields. Potentially, barring hard freezes or more rain, it'll probably be into November that we're actually harvesting."
Pricing to be determined
As for pricing, the grower-shipper hopes for stronger pricing compared to last season given the higher input costs. "Though we have an economy that appears to be slowing down and there is also a lot of pressure on the retail chains to reduce pricing which comes back to the grower for lower pricing," says Solana, adding that pricing will ultimately depend on how the crop emerges.
Meanwhile on broccoli, transplanting the fields has just finished in North Carolina and most of that will start to be harvested around November 1st through to Christmas–sometimes even into New Year's depending on the weather. "We came out of a lot of water and we had to wait for fields to dry to transplant. Then we did that and we got four to eight inches from that potential Tropical Cyclone 8 on Monday," says Solana.
Both broccoli and sweet potatoes will be key talking points for Jackson Farming at the Global Produce & Floral Show in Atlanta, Georgia October 17-19. After all, the company is there to see old friends and meet new ones.
"It's a big show for us because of the size and it's a great opportunity from a new customer standpoint to see folks we may not have seen before. It's a chance to make new connections," says Solana, noting the company will be at booth BC215. "We also want to reconnect with folks that we currently do business with and thank them for their business and determine how to better serve them going forward."
For more information:
Matt Solana
Jackson Farming Company
www.jfcmelons.com