The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on May 4 that up to $9 million will be made available for a clingstone peach tree removal program, offering relief to California growers impacted by the closure of the Del Monte cannery in Modesto.
The funding aims to help remove as many as 420,000 clingstone peach trees, which covers about 3,000 acres. This initiative is designed to assist producers who were left with inactive long-term contracts after Del Monte Foods filed for bankruptcy on July 1, 2025.
Shannon Douglass, president of the California Farm Bureau—which represents more than 23,000 farmers and ranchers statewide—said, “We appreciate our elected officials’ support in securing this funding. It offers a glimmer of hope after a devastating period, ensuring California farmers can transition to new crops and stay on their land.”
Rich Hudgins, CEO of the California Canning Peach Association (CCPA), said, “We’re grateful for the swift action taken to protect peach growers, the peach industry, their families and the rural communities that depend on this industry.” The aid package was facilitated by efforts from members of Congress including U.S. Representatives Mike Thompson and David Valadao along with other officials such as Senator Adam Schiff and Assemblymember James Gallagher.
Ranjit Davit—a Sutter County grower who is also chair of CCPA—said: “This funding gives growers the opportunity to make choices about growing a different commodity. Without it, we were looking at abandoned orchards and generational farming operations coming to an end. We are deeply grateful to the USDA and our representatives for stepping in when it mattered most.”
The California Farm Bureau Federation secures funding through membership dues, partnerships and grants according to its official website. The organization promotes sustainable agriculture as well as education initiatives supporting family farming traditions in rural communities according to its official website. Its headquarters in Sacramento provide facilities supporting statewide operations according to its official website.
The Farm Bureau is affiliated with the American Farm Bureau Federation representing farmers nationally according to its official website, includes more than 26,000 members encompassing various groups statewide according to its official website, and works as an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding quality of life for California’s agricultural community according to its official website.
