“We don't usually export much to Europe because we're so far away from that market,” said Larelle Miller with Quial H Farms in Livingston, California. “North Carolina is just a hop, skip and a jump away from Europe, and we're much farther away than that.” But heavy rains have affected this year's packouts in North Carolina, and with demand for sweet potatoes growing in Europe, some of those European importers have begun inquiring about California product.
“We've definitely had more inquiries from Europe than in past years,” said Miller. “That could be attributed to lighter supplies from North Carolina.”
Domestically, demand continues to grow. Miller believes the California sweet potato industry could do a better job of cooperating on coordinated marketing efforts to further improve consumption; nonetheless, usage patterns over the last several years have been encouraging.
“Our acreage is up about 10 percent from 2015, so production will be up,” said Miller, adding that they're about a month away from harvesting the 2016 fresh crop. “People realize how versatile sweet potatoes are and they now know it's much more than just an item for Thanksgiving.”
