Tomato Processors Expect to Contract 15 Million Tons in 2015

Taylor Hillman General

The USDA-NASS California Field Office surveyed the State’s tomato processors for their intended contract acreage and tonnage for the upcoming 2015 season. The data reported by processors was either tonnage with derived acreage, or acreage with derived tonnage.

California’s tomato processors reported they have, or will have, contracts for 15.0 million tons this year, as of January. If realized this will be largest crop on record. Processors estimate that the contracted production for 2015 will come from 310,000 acres producing an average yield of 48.39 tons per acre. The contracted planted acreage forecast is a 7 percent increase from what was reported under contract in the August 2014 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.