Peaches have a long history in California. The first settlers to introduce peaches in California were the Spanish, along with other settlers from the Eastern United States. With the arrival of the Gold Rush, the demand for peaches skyrocketed. It was reported in 1854 that a single peach tree in Coloma, with 450 individual fruits, was worth $1,350. Growers soon found that California was producing some of the highest quality peaches in the world.
This boom, however, would not last forever. Beginning in 1860, crop prices plummeted throughout the state. The lack of adequate transportation for delivering peaches to and from markets was exposed. Many assumed the peach industry as a whole would be crippled. Instead, the canning industry began to take off. Peaches produced for cans instead of the fresh market gradually became more popular.
In the period between 1890 and 1920, the amount of peach acreage in California tripled. The majority of new peaches being planted were of the Clingstone variety; this kind of peach is sweeter and juicier than other varieties and is favored in the canning and packing industry. The crop would suffer a downturn during the Great Depression, for numerous factors. Over planting, economic deflation, and soil disorders led to production declining between 1927 and 1941. Afterwards, production would resume its growth until the 1970s, with the majority of peach orchards continuing to produce Clingstone.
Since the 1970s, peach acreage has declined significantly in the Central Valley and throughout California. There are many reasons for this. Growers began to face increased competition from cheaper peach growers abroad. Consumption of peaches, especially canned peaches, in the United States declined. Peaches and other fruits such as nectarines have a relatively high cost of production and processing; with the economic difficulties that occurred in the 70’s decade, many growers switched to lower-cost crops such as almonds and walnuts.
In 2014, California contributed to 95% of America’s processed peaches, 49% of its fresh peaches, and 94% of its nectarines. Sutter, Fresno, and Stanislaus counties are the top producing counties for cling peaches; Fresno and Tulare counties make up the majority of freestone peach production.
