Overview
- The USDA will provide up to $9 million to pay growers to remove about 3,000 acres of clingstone peach trees before harvest.
- Lawmakers said the plan would take roughly 50,000 tons out of production and help avoid about $30 million in losses.
- Del Monte closed its Modesto and Hughson canneries in April after a Chapter 11 filing last year, which left growers without processing options.
- Pacific Coast Producers bought Del Monte’s canned fruit business but only contracted about 24,000 tons, leaving a large share without a buyer.
- Growers report steep financial strain from canceled long-term contracts, with earlier estimates pointing to about $550 million in lost revenue.