by Henrich Brunke, Postgraduate Researcher, and Min Chang, Agricultural Issues Center, University of California.

Profile updated March 2008.

Background

Cultivation of peaches (Prunus persica) began in China as early as 2000 B.C. By 300 B.C. Greeks and Persians were enjoying peaches. In the first century A.D., Romans began cultivating peaches. From Italy, the cultivation of peaches spread throughout Europe and to the Americas, where the early settlers planted them all along the eastern coast. By the mid-1700s, peaches were so plentiful in the United States that botanists thought of them as native fruits.

The two basic types of peaches are clingstone and freestone. With clingstone peaches, the flesh “clings” to the "stone" of the peach, making it difficult to separate, and thus more suitable for processing. In addition, this variety retains its flavor and soft texture during processing. According to the ERS, roughly 75 percent of processed peaches are canned and 17 percent are frozen. Processed peaches may also be frozen, prepared as baby food and concentrated for fruit juice.  

The pit of freestone peaches "freely" separates from the flesh, making it ideal for fresh consumption. Freestone peaches are generally larger than clingstones with a firmer, less juicy texture. While most commonly eaten fresh, these peaches may also be frozen and dried.

In the 1990s, flat donut peaches were re-introduced to the U.S. market. Donut peaches are super-sweet, with creamy, juicy flesh that could be either white or yellow.
 

Production

As of 2007, peaches are commercially produced in 25 U.S. states. Historically, the top three states in peach production are California, South Carolina and Georgia. However, a devastating freeze in April 2007 damaged approximately 90 percent of the South Carolina crop and 50 percent of the Georgia crop, sharply reducing production in both states. As a result, California continued to be the dominant peach-producing state, but New Jersey ranked second and Washington ranked third in peach production for 2007. 

The bearing acreage of peach trees has been declining since 1998; by 2006 the United States had 134.9 thousand acres of peach trees in production. That year's peach crop was valued at $270.4 million and 2,020 million pounds of peaches were produced. Of that amount, 962.9 million pounds were sold as fresh-market produce and 1,011.3 million pounds were processed. Typically, the majority of the processed peaches are canned, while the rest are either frozen or dried.

Annual per person consumption of peaches peaked at 13 pounds in the early 1970s. By 2006 annual consumption had dropped to about 7.9 pounds per person. Fresh peach consumption dropped to 4.6 pounds per person, and canned (processed) consumption decreased from 7 pounds per person in the 1970s to about 3 pounds per person in 2006.

Exports

Of the major stone fruits (apricots, cherries, peaches and plums), the United States exports the fewest number of peaches. However, the United States is a net exporter of peaches and exported 190.5 million pounds of fresh peaches in 2006. The top destinations for U.S. peaches that year were Canada, Taiwan and Mexico. Most peach shipments from the United States to Mexico are for processing.
 

Imports

U.S. imports of fresh peaches declined in 2006 to 133.3 million pounds. Chile was the main supplier and accounted for 130.7 million pounds of the fresh peaches imported that year, followed by Mexico, which supplied 1.5 million pounds. Most fresh peaches were shipped during the summer.
 

Prices
Fresh peach retail prices were a record $1.54 per pound in 2006, continuing a trend of peach retail prices averaging over $1 per pound. Generally peach retail prices are highest right before the harvest season.

Outlook
U.S. peach producers face several challenges: the high cost of domestic production, the effects of high levels of plantings a decade ago and the increased supply of peaches, especially low-priced canned peaches, from other countries. Higher production costs can be attributed to the dramatic rise in labor, energy, chemicals, fertilizer and equipment costs in the last few years.

 

Sources

Attaché Reports, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), USDA.

Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System, Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA.
 

Fruit and Tree Nuts Situation and Outlook Yearbook, ERS, USDA, 2007.

Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts, 2007 Preliminary Summary, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), USDA, January 2008.

Trade Data Online, Industry Canada. 

Profile prepared August 2002 and updated March 2008.