Tomato Processors Expect to Contract 11.6 Million Tons in 2017
The USDA-NASS Pacific Regional Office surveyed California’s tomato processors for their intended contract acreage and tonnage for the upcoming 2017 season. The data reported by processors was either tonnage with derived acreage, or acreage with derived tonnage.
As of January, California’s tomato processors reported they have, or will have, contracts for 11.6 million tons in 2017, which would be the lowest contracted production since 2006. After the record production years of 2014 and 2015, the base inventories are high, contributing to the lower anticipated contracted production. Processors estimate that the contracted production for 2017 will come from 235,000 acres, which would be the lowest contracted acreage since 1988. This acreage is forecast to produce an average yield of 49.4 tons per acre. The acreage forecast is a 10 percent decrease from what was reported under contract in the August 2016 California Processing Tomato Report.
This early processing tomato estimate is funded by the California League of Food Processors, in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Read the full 2017 California Processing Tomato Report. (.pdf)