This year’s processing tomato crop in California could be one of the biggest in history.
If the government projections hold true, California tomato growers should produce 13-million tons for processing this year.
That would be about a 100-tons more than last year’s total, and would become the second largest processing crop on state record.
But industry folks point out that for the past 6 years the processing tomato harvest has produced between 12 to 13 million tons each year, making this year’s projected harvest closer to average.
That’s good news though, since that means growers are able to factor in consistent demand for both domestic and continued growth for exports.
Industry officials also point out that tomato yields have increased while acreage has actually decreased in our state.
The tomato growing season usually runs for about seven months starting in May.
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