Output drops for processing-tomato farmers amid challenges
California’s anticipated tomato production shrank last year due to water shortages and higher production costs, farmers say. Some processing-tomato growers who once paid $3,000 per acre on their crop say they’re paying more than $4,000.
Last year, state processors intended to contract for 12.1 million tons of tomatoes. By the end of harvest, that figure had dropped by 1.3 million tons, as farmers adjusted production forecasts downward.
