August 10th, 2022 - Pacific Coast Producers

Tomatoes

Conventionals – Harvest officially began August 2nd. Harvest has been a slow start due to a slower ripening process than historically. Regardless fruit quality and field yields has been pretty good.
San Marzano Style – Crop is growing well and harvest is expected to begin in the next week.
Organics – Harvest officially wrapped up August 6th. Fruit quality has been very nice and we are pleased to have completed a successful harvest.

Peaches

Organics – Harvest continues. Some growers have finished harvest and have already begun orchard maintanence. Labor continues to be adequate. Normal cultural practices continue in all orchards.

Conventionals – Harvest continues in all areas. Early varieties are starting to wrap up and more late varieties are being harvested. Extreme heat has been a challenge for growers. Warmer temperatures speed up the fruit ripening process leaving growers fighting to pick and deliver in a timely manner to avoid fruit softening. Prior to harvest, a four-day cold snap in late February 2022 coupled with an additional, untimely frost on April 28th, damaged a significant portion of our California Cling Peach crop. We expect a resultant harvest of approximately 83% of normal (17% short of initial spring estimate). As with our cherry crop, Pacific Coast Producers will try to avert some of this extreme FY2023 peach shortage by making strategic outside purchases and maximizing yield with our new, very effective Tomra Halo 5B sorting technology. There will be more to come on this hopeful, yet expensive plan to stay in stock through to May 2023 or better for our clients. We are needing good fortune and unencumbered overseas transportation to reverse this undesirable impending supply position.