Dive Brief:

• Heavy rains earlier this year have pushed back the harvest of North Carolina sweet potatoes.
• The crop is expected to be about 20 percent smaller than last year.
• The problems with North Carolina's harvest come as overall acerage for the crop in the United States has fallen, meaning North Carolina's sweet potatoes have a strong influence on national prices.
• It all makes for a perfect storm that will likely add up to higher prices and some shortages at retail as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.

Dive Insight:

North American sweet potatoes are a core part of the Thanksgiving meal. It's unlikely that a price jump will have much impact on consumers' desire to buy during the holidays. Besides, the recent rise in popularity of Asian breeds of sweet potatoes provides alternatives to consumers, at least in upscale, urban stores.