2024 - Your Commission at Work

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In 2001, the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission Foundation was chartered as a 501 (c)(3) entity. The charitable, research, and educational activities conducted through grants and gifts benefit North Carolina’s sweetpotato industry in the following ways: Developing a clear understanding of consumers' needs and expectations. Collaborating with researchers and developers for value-added products at the retail and foodservice levels. Seeking out opportunities with major food manufacturers to increase sweetpotato processing within the state. Improving retail marketing programs to boost sales during “Off Peak” seasons. Researching and applying for grant opportunities to fund projects that benefit the industry and consumers which includes food safety, research as to the health benefits of sweetpotatoes, market research and development, and development of economic models for farm profitability and sustainability.

FY 23-24 Grant Activity

Specialty Crop Block Grant: Controlling GRKN in Sweetpotato Packing Facilities

Began 9/30/2022; End date 6/30/2024

$166,736 grant funds

Outcomes Best Management Practices to control GRKN in packing facilities have been developed. Teaching materials were created and distributed and in-person training was conducted for participating packing facilities. A project to determine the rate of spread of GRKN in packing facilities was implemented and results were published by the Commission. The research was conducted to make strides toward developing a quick response test to determine if GRKN is present in sweetpotatoes.

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