- Central California peach farmers are preparing to destroy approximately 420,000 clingstone peach trees after Del Monte Foods closed its canneries earlier this year.
- Del Monte permanently shut its Modesto and Hughson canneries following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, leaving farmers without 20-year contracts and facing an estimated $550 million in lost revenue, according to the Sacramento Bee.
- Senator Adam Schiff and Representatives Mike Thompson and David Valadao announced up to $9 million in federal aid for affected growers in response to the crisis.
- The emergency assistance will help farmers remove about 3,000 acres of clingstone peach orchards before the upcoming harvest season.
- Officials stated that removing around 50,000 tonnes of peaches from production could prevent an estimated £30 million in additional losses for farmers by reducing oversupply.
IN FULL
