As one of fall’s favorite vegetables, sweetpotatoes are on our minds this time of year. More than just a sweet filling for a pie or a tasty addition to the Thanksgiving dinner table, sweetpotatoes play an important role in North Carolina agriculture.
- North Carolina has been the top sweetpotato-producing state since 1971.
- The sweetpotato has been the official State Vegetable of North Carolina for 30 years, as of 2025.
- In 2024, 86,500 acres of sweetpotatoes were harvested.
- North Carolina farmers produced more than $254.5 million worth of sweetpotatoes in 2024.
- The average acre yields 16,800 pounds of sweetpotatoes.
- There are some 350 commercial sweetpotato farmers in North Carolina.
- Sweetpotatoes should never be refrigerated unless they are cooked. Temperatures below 55 degrees damage the quality and destroy the flavor, causing them to become bitter.
Sources: North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service
