Total U.S. peach production for 2026 is forecast at 604,200 tons, down 15% year over year, according to USDA NASS data. Spring freeze events devastated nearly every major growing state: Georgia fell 52%, Pennsylvania dropped 82%, New Jersey was down 62%, Michigan fell 30%, and Colorado declined 20%. California, the top producing state, saw freestone output drop 9% and clingstone tumble 17%, with the clingstone decline accelerated by the permanent closure of Del Monte's Modesto and Hughson canning facilities after the company's July 2025 bankruptcy.
The lone bright spot is South Carolina, which avoided major freeze damage and is projecting an 18% increase — 93,000 tons, the state's largest harvest since 2011. But that's not nearly enough to offset losses elsewhere.
For fresh market peach buyers, this season's compressed domestic supply has broad implications for pricing and sourcing. The processor sector is under long-term structural pressure following the Del Monte closures. Watch whether acreage continues to be pulled in California and the Mid-Atlantic as growers weigh rebuilding against rising input costs.