Sweet Potato Area Slipping

WASHINGTON - Mar 29/18 - SNS -- Planted area of sweet potatoes is estimated at 158,500 acres, down 2% from the previous year, according to the USDA's seeding intentions report for 2018.

North Carolina growers will begin planting after the last frost, normally in May. Growers in Mississippi prepared their seedbeds and were making fertilizer applications in preparation for the 2018 crop season.

Producers in California reported warm and dry conditions in the early part of the year, but a series of storms in March brought rain to the growing areas. Irrigation supplies are expected to be adequate through the growing season.

In Arkansas and Louisiana, field preparation was delayed due to flooding at the end of February.

Sweet Potato Area Planted - States and United States: 2016-2018
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                    :                                 Area planted
        State       :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :       2016        :       2017        :      2018 1/      :    Percent of
                    :                   :                   :                   :   previous year
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                    :       ---------------- 1,000 acres ----------------              percent
                    :
Arkansas ...........:         (D)                 (D)                 (D)                (D)
California .........:        20.0                21.0                23.0                110
Florida ............:         (D)                 (D)                 (D)                (D)
Louisiana ..........:        10.0                10.0                10.0                100
Mississippi ........:        30.0                30.0                30.0                100
North Carolina .....:        98.0                90.0                85.0                 94
                    :
Other States 2/ ....:        10.1                10.6                10.5                 99
                    :
United States ......:       168.1               161.6               158.5                 98
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(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
1/  Intended plantings in 2018 as indicated by reports from farmers.
2/  Includes data withheld above.