Ron Fish, assistant director for agribusiness development
NCDA&CS Marketing Division
(919) 733-7887, ext. 219

YamCo has a patented licensing agreement with researchers from N.C. State University for advanced processing of sweet potatoes. YamCo produces sweet potato puree that doesn’t need refrigeration, making it more appealing to various sectors of the foodservice industry. Target markets include the U.S. military, baby food manufacturers, United Nations food programs and retailers/wholesalers.

The facility will help to expand the market for N.C. sweet potatoes. As demand for YamCo’s products grows, it could create more opportunities for N.C. sweet potato growers. The company’s success could lead to higher sweet potato acreage in the state.

YamCo was founded by seven N.C. sweet potato farmers. The facility will process and package sweet potatoes for the foodservice industry. The company is making a $6 million investment and creating up to 63 jobs within three years.

North Carolina is the nation’s leading sweet potato producer, accounting for 43 percent of U.S. production.

The YamCo processing facility was the result of a cooperative effort between Greene County, the town of Snow Hill, N.C. Eastern Region, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Golden LEAF Foundation, N.C. Rural Center, N.C. Sweet Potato Commission and Progress Energy.