The closure of Del Monte's Modesto cannery and the end of long-term contracts have pushed California cling peach growers to remove orchards and replant with almonds. One grower profiled spent $8,500 removing a 30-acre orchard after losing roughly $300,000 in annual income when his 15-year contract ended.
Cling peaches are a processing crop, not a fresh-market item, but the orchard removal trend matters for California agriculture broadly. Land that exits peaches for permanent crops like almonds is unlikely to return, which has long-term implications for the fresh stone fruit category as well as the broader Central Valley growing landscape.
Watch whether fresh peach acreage also trends lower as growers in the region reassess their options — any sustained decline in California stone fruit supply would eventually put upward pressure on fresh market pricing.