U.S. sweet potato production and exports surged

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United States was the world's largest exporter of sweet potatoes by volume in 2020.

 

An ERS (Economic Research Service) report from the USDA, the United States Department of Agriculture announces that the United States sweet potato exports by volume, from 2001 to 2021, increased by 1157% and that in terms of value these exports increased from 14 million USD in 2001 to 187 million USD in 2021, i.e. +1235%.

 

The main destinations are the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada. After a very strong expansion recorded from the mid-2000s until 2018, exports slowed to the UK (-28%) and the EU (-12%) but exports to Canada continued to increase .

 

Over the past 20 years, the top producing states in the US have more than doubled their sweet potato production to meet growing domestic and international demand. The United States ranks 7th in the world for sweet potato production, according to the FAO.