With about 2,000 acres of commercial peaches, Florida isn’t a major player in domestic peach production.
The state isn’t listed on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts Summary, highlighting the production of peaches in 20 states, updated in May 2020.
There were about 74,400 acres bearing peaches nationwide in 2019, according to the USDA.
But Florida’s peaches, small yet mighty sweet, are available when other domestic sources are not.
Chile’s peach season is December through March. Georgia, South Carolina and California have the pitted, fuzzy fruit May through August, with California tacking on September and October, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.
This year peach sizing will peak between 2¼ and 2 3/8 inches in diameter, which is similar to 2020, said Al Finch, president of Florida Classic Growers, Dundee, Fla.
Peaches generally range from 2-3 inches.
A Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences specialty crop block grant went to promoting the state’s peaches.
Staff created one slogan highlighting how unique these peaches are: “Smaller, sweeter and ready to eat, compared to other peaches.”
Men and women are equally likely to buy peaches, and 41% of shoppers purchased peaches within the past 12 months, according to The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2021.
The West likes them best, followed by the Northeast, the South and the Midwest.
Like a lot of other produce, the older and wealthier a person is, the more likely they are to buy a peach.
Those who don’t have any kids at home are also more likely to purchase peaches, Fresh Trends data shows.
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