California peach growers plan to remove 420,000 trees after Del Monte cannery closures

California peach growers are preparing to remove about 420,000 clingstone peach trees across roughly 3,000 acres asourceser Del Monte Foods said it will close its canning facilities in Modesto and Hughson in April 2026.

The planned removals follow Del Monte’s July 2025 bankruptcy filing and leave farmers without a major buyer that processed an estimated 30% to 35% of California’s cling peach production.

USDA aid to help fund the transition The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved $9 million in federal assistance to help cover the cost of removing the trees and transitioning to other crops. The support is intended to reduce losses for growers who would otherwise face harvests they cannot sell.

The funding follows a request from more than 40 California lawmakers who wrote to the Agriculture Department in March 2026 seeking federal help for growers, including multi-generational farming operations.

Why the closures matter for growers Del Monte’s bankruptcy has been linked to shisourcesing consumer demand away from canned foods and toward fresh produce, along with rising operating costs, including tariffs on imported steel used for cans.

Many growers had long-term supply contracts with Del Monte, in part because cling peach trees can have a lifespan of about 20 years and take years to cultivate. With those contracts gone—described as worth more than $550 million collectively—farmers are weighing alternative crops such as almonds or prunes, which can require significant time and investment to establish.