California still leads the pack in peaches despite steady decline
While Georgia often comes to mind as the platonic ideal of peach country to many, California is the largest peach producing state by far, growing almost three-quarters of all peaches in the U.S., according to the USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service.
In 2022 alone, California harvested 475,000 tons of peaches. Trailing behind in second was South Carolina, yielding only 67,400 tons, and Georgia in third with production at 24,800 tons, according to a recent USDA Economic Research Service report.
Related news: With Georgia production down, peaches are pricier
Understanding declines in peach production
Even though California leads the country in peach harvest, its production has been trending lower for almost two decades, contributing to an overall decline in U.S. peach production. According to USDA’s NASS, peach volumes have been dropping in California since 2014, when 620,000 were reported harvested. The decline appears to have stabilized slightly in the past year, increasing in 2023 from 480,000 tons, up from 475,000 tons in 2022, according to NASS.
Compounding domestic production declines earlier this year, Georgia and South Carolina peaches experienced challenging weather conditions that included unseasonably warm weather in late winter followed by late spring cold snaps. Unprecedented wet and cold weather also contributed to a later start of California’s peach season, culminating in lower yields overall for domestic peaches in 2023.
Related: Later start but good quality expected for California tree fruit, melons
Total domestic peach production in 2022 was estimated at 625,680 tons, 8% smaller than the crop in 2019. In 2022, California’s peach harvest was about 5% smaller than in 2019 and nearly 27% lower than 10 years earlier.
Looking ahead, the latest reports from USDA’s NASS forecast 2023 total peach production to be 13% lower than in 2022.
