The U.S.’ peach, nectarine and cherry production is back in the black for the 2024-25 season. While peaches and nectarines will up by 15,000 tonnes, cherries will improve by 13,000 tonnes year-on-year (y-o-y).
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a September 2024 forecast, the 2024-25 peach and nectarine harvest will amount to 669,000 tonnes. The projection essentially marks a slight rebound from the 40-year production low of the 2023-24 season.
This output will propel annual exports of peaches to 60,000 tonnes, a 30% yearly increase. If it materializes, the output will match the 2019-2023 peach and nectarine annual average of 650,000 to 710,000 tonnes.
The good hopes for the upcoming season owe to improved weather in 2024 and farmer-friendly prices.
Research in Quarter 1, 2024 had depicted the southeast U.S. production zone that includes Georgia as recovering after the 2023 drought.
Farmers’ prices of peaches also remained relatively high in 2024 due to shortage, mirroring those of June 2023 at $1.23 per pound.
Besides, increased processing utilization which accounts for 1/3rd of all American peaches and nectarines is also rallying production.
Cherries Production Up
Another crop with a similar positive forecast is cherries, whose 2024-25 total could exceed that of 2023 by 13,000 tonnes.
USDA’s September 2024 projection shows a national harvest of 413,000 tonnes of sweet and sour cherries.
This output will bring annual exports of cherries to 85,000 tonnes, slightly above the 2013-23 average.
USDA however projects sweet cherries to be 6% down in output, y-o-y, to 335,000 tonnes due to damaging frost in Washington. However, good saturation in Utah will bring tart cherries’ production back in the picture and rally the entire cherry harvest.
Thus, three tree nuts are faring well in both production expectations and pricing as processors rush for supplies. And as the next section shows, utilization through fresh sales and processing eventually brings the true picture of total production.
U.S. Peach, Nectarine and Cherry Utilized Production Statistics
Utilized production of tree nuts differs from fresh production in that it includes commodities in fresh produce markets, in storage and under processing. As such, utilized production of cherries, peaches and nectarines tends to be higher than fresh production, as the following data reveals:
How much peaches did the United States produce in 2023?
Data by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) records utilized peach production in 2023 at 577,690 tonnes. The total utilized production dollar value for 2023 was $656,083,000. In comparison, 2022’s utilized production volume totaled 632,650 tonnes worth $674,625,000, with both entries higher than 2023. In its part, the total fresh peach production in 2023 was below that of utilized production, at 282,290 tons.
How much cherries does the U.S. produce per year?
In 2023, American utilized production of sweet cherries hit 342,870 tons while that of tart cherries reached 98,600 tonnes. In terms of the value of utilized production, sweet cherries in 2023 were worth $636,319,000 tonnes while tart cherries were worth $38,908,000. Comparably, fresh production of sweet cherries in 2023 was below that of utilized production, at 281,830 tons.
What is the production value of American nectarines?
The production value of cherries in 2023 reached $242,070,000 against a volume of 145,500 tonnes. Both figures were higher than in 2022 when production had hit 137,000 tonnes worth $169,366,000.