05/12/2026
Central California peach farmers are preparing to uproot approximately 420,000 clingstone peach trees after Del Monte Foods permanently closed its processing facilities in Modesto and Hughson in April. The closures come as part of Del Monte’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.
The closures have left growers with few options to sell their crops, prompting federal lawmakers to secure up to $9 million in emergency aid to help farmers remove roughly 3,000 acres of orchards before the upcoming harvest season begins in late May.
Last year's bankruptcy has created ripple effects in agriculture, with thousands of peach trees now slated for removal as the company reorganizes.