The USDA-NASS Pacific Regional Office surveyed California’s tomato processors for their intended contract acreage and tonnage for the upcoming 2018 season. The data reported by processors was either tonnage with derived acreage, or acreage with derived tonnage.
As of January, the California tomato processors reported they have, or will have, contracts for 12.0 million tons in 2018, which is an increase of 4.3 percent from what was reported under contract in the August 2017 California processing Tomato Report. Processors estimate that the contracted production for 2018 will come from 240,000 acres, producing an average yield of 50.0 tons per acre. The contracted planted acreage forecast is a 3.0 percent increase from the record-low acreage reported under contract in the August 2017 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.
2018 California Processing Tomato Report (.pdf)