The growing popularity of sweet potatoes is one reason why California sweet potato farmers are planning to increase production this year.
Most of California’s sweet potatoes are grown in Merced County fields of the Central Valley – about 16-thousand acres. But planted acreage might grow this year. The US Ag Department is forecasting a six percent increase in California sweet potato production. That would make California the lone bright spot for sweet potato production in the nation. Three other top sweet potato producing states, North Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi are looking at a drop for the 2013 season. According to the California sweet potato council the growing season usually begins in February, when seeds are put into hotbeds to grow plants. The new crop is later transplanted into fields.
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