California freestone shipments are forecast at 310,000 short tons for 2026, accounting for 65 percent of the state’s total peach output.
While the estimate is three percent below the bumper harvest of 2025, it remains 12 percent above the previous three-year average.
About three-quarters of California freestone peaches move directly to fresh-market retail outlets, with the remaining balance allocated to freezing and drying operations.
California peach producers are looking at a 10 percent yield reduction for the 2025/26 season, according to the latest Economic Research Service (ERS) Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The assessment places peach production at 480,000 short tons, with warmer-than-average spring temperatures accelerating orchard development across major Central Valley growing regions.
The overall crop drop points primarily to clingstone varieties, which are predominantly grown for industrial canning.
In July of last year, Del Monte Foods, one of two major peach canning processors in the state, filed for bankruptcy, canceling multi-year contracts with clingstone growers and selling its assets. However, the firm’s largest fruit canning plant in Modesto was not purchased and was subsequently closed in April 2026.