Central California peach farmers are preparing to destroy around 420,000 clingstone peach trees after Del Monte Foods shut down its canneries earlier this year. The 139-year-old company permanently closed its facilities in Modesto and Hughson in April following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing last July.
The closures have left hundreds of workers jobless and devastated growers, many of whom lost 20-year contracts with Del Monte and have few alternative buyers. Farmers could face an estimated $550 million in lost revenue, according to the Sacramento Bee.
In response, Senator Adam Schiff and Representatives Mike Thompson and David Valadao announced last week that affected growers could receive up to $9 million in federal aid to remove up to 420,000 clingstone peach trees before the upcoming harvest season. The emergency assistance will help remove about 3,000 acres of orchards, reducing oversupply and saving farmers an estimated $30 million in additional losses.
“For generations, Central Valley family farms have relied on Del Monte’s Modesto facility to process their peaches,” Valadao said in a statement. Thompson added: “When a processing facility closes and 55,000 acres of fruit suddenly have nowhere to go — that’s not something a family farm can just absorb.”
After a court allowed Del Monte to sell its assets, Pacific Coast Producers bought the canned fruit business and agreed to purchase about 24,000 tons of peaches from farmers. However, around 50,000 tons still lack a buyer, meaning a large portion of the crop will go unused.
