With the fall of Del Monte Foods’ Modesto cannery earlier this year, also comes the fall of the clingstone peach crop tonnage this harvest.
The amount of canning peaches processed this year is expected to drop 29%, or roughly 61,000 tons, compared to last year, according to Pacific Coast Producers, the only major buyer and processor of California cling peaches left in the state. The company said in a statement that the total harvest is expected to come in around 150,000 tons.
This is a significant, yet anticipated, reduction after Del Monte’s bankruptcy led to 50,000 tons of peaches without buyers in the Central Valley. Between 2024 and 2025, canning peaches saw a roughly 7% reduction in tonnage processed…