Warning over peach supply in the US after ‘catastrophic’ loss in two states

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe freeze hit the crops during a crucial stage of their development, severely hurting the peach blossoms and young fruit (Getty Images/iStockphoto)A late April freeze devastated New Jersey's peach harvest, causing an estimated $300 million in losses and leading Governor Mikie Sherrill to declare a state of emergency and seek federal disaster assistance. New Jersey peach farmers described the damage as catastrophic, with many experiencing near-total crop failure due to the freeze hitting during a crucial stage of fruit development. Peach crops in Texas and Louisiana also suffered significant losses; Texas experienced insufficient "chill hours" during winter, while Louisiana was hit by a late March freeze, both impacting fruit development. California's peach industry faces a unique crisis, with approximately 420,000 clingstone peach trees slated for destruction following the closure of Del Monte canneries, which were major buyers of their produce. These widespread crop failures across New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, and California are collectively expected to result in higher peach prices for consumers. In fullPeach supply threat in several states could send prices skyrocketing as farmers report $300 million worth of lossesThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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