California peach growers are set to destroy roughly 420,000 clingstone peach trees after the collapse of a decades-long partnership with Del Monte Foods left farmers without buyers for tens of thousands of tons of fruit.
The move comes after the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved up to $9 million in federal relief funding to help California farmers remove about 3,000 acres of peach orchards ahead of the 2026 harvest season, according to a release from Adam Schiff and California lawmakers.
The emergency aid comes after the closure of Del Monte processing facilities in two California towns, Modesto and Hughson, a fallout following the food giant’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing last year.
Here's what to know about the removal of clingstone peach trees.
Central California growers were thrown into crisis after Del Monte permanently shuttered its canneries earlier this year, canceling many longtime grower contracts and leaving farmers with no major processing outlet for their clingstone peaches.
