- Central California peach farmers are preparing to destroy approximately 420,000 clingstone peach trees after Del Monte Foods permanently closed its canneries in Modesto and Hughson.
- The closures, which followed Del Monte's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, left hundreds of workers jobless and growers without long-term contracts, potentially resulting in $550 million in lost revenue.
- Senator Adam Schiff and Representatives Mike Thompson and David Valadao announced up to $9 million in federal aid for affected growers to remove about 3,000 acres of peach orchards.
- This emergency assistance aims to reduce oversupply by removing about 50,000 tons of peaches from production, which officials estimate could prevent $30 million in additional losses for farmers.
- The aid allows growers to pivot their land to other crops, addressing a situation that congressional members warned could cause lasting harm to the country's agricultural system.
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