California Farmers to Destroy 420,000 Peach Trees After Del Monte Collapses

Central California peach farmers are preparing to destroy around 420,000 clingstone peach trees afterDel Monte Foods shut down its canneries earlier this year.

Del Monte, the 139-year-old canned fruit and vegetable company, permanently closed its canneries in Modesto and Hughson in April following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing last July.

The closures left hundreds of workers without jobs and devastated growers, many of whom lost 20-year contracts with Del Monte and had few alternative buyers for their crops. Farmers could face an estimated $550 million in lost revenue, according to the Sacramento Bee.

In response, Senator Adam Schiff and Reps. Mike Thompson and David Valadao announced last week that affected growers could receive up to $9 million in federal aid to remove up to 420,000 clingstone peach trees before the upcoming harvest season, which typically runs from late May through September.