Marketing

North Carolina ranks first in the production of this very nutritious vegetable. Approximately 36,000 acres are grown in the state. North Carolina growers produce nearly forty percent of the total U.S. production. Production is mostly limited to the coastal plain.

Johnston, Wilson, and Nash are the top three counties in terms of sweet potato acreage. The southern sweet potato is a root and the Irish potato is a tuber. The potato is a completely different plant, not even a distant cousin. What's in a name? When it comes to sweet potato verses yam, there is a bit of confusion.

Sweet potatoes have been confused with the yam , which originated in West Africa and Asia. The confusion dates back to the days of the slave trade, when slaves from Africa confused the sweet potato with the "nyami" of their native land. The word "yam" comes from this African word. The name has been used by the industry for many years. Many sweet potatoes are being marketed as "yams," but are actually sweet potatoes with a vivid orange color, a soft moist consistency when cooked, and a uniquely sweet flavor. Other varieties of sweet potatoes are lighter skinned and have a firmer, drier texture when cooked.

North Carolina sweet potatoes are promoted throughout the country and Canada by the NCDA and the North Carolina Sweet potato Commission. Point-of-Sale materials, posters, recipe brochures, and other promotional items are available through the North Carolina Sweet potato Commission or the Division of Marketing at the NCDA.

For Additional Information contact:

The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission 1327 N.Brightleaf Blvd. Noble Plaza, Suite H Smithfield, NC 27577 (919) 989-7323 Fax: (919) 989-3015 ncsweetsue@aol.com