Stone fruit growers in California, who were hit hard by Hurricane Hilary in August 2023, are hoping this year will provide a long season with strong volumes and a good water supply, similar to 2024. 

A rainy March has brought much-needed rain to the state. The snowpack in the mountains guarantees a good supply of water for irrigation during summer, as lakes and rivers should maintain strong levels. 

Bo Brett, Chief Financial Officer of Mountain View Fruit Sales (MVFS), a prominent California stone fruit grower, told Freshfruitportal.com they expect similar volumes from last year.

“We did acquire some acreage that had some older trees on it last year that were pulled after harvest, but we always have new blocks coming into production to offset those going away,” Bo said. 

Regarding the timing of different stone fruit varieties, he said the season looks similar to last year.

“Our bloom started earlier than 2024, but a cooler March has slowed things down a bit,” Bo said. “We will ramp up in late May and have product through the middle of October under our late-season Autumnripe label, weather permitting.”

Additionally, he indicated that the initial estimate for the season looks very close to last year's final numbers, “but we have a long way to go till we get the last fruit off the trees, but we are optimistic.”

Overall, stone fruit consumption has remained stable in the local market. MVFS is ready to promote the fruit for Memorial Day and all the summer holidays and regional promotions with retailers.

“We are coming from 5 years of great eating fruit and consumption. Hopefully, those memories will be fresh in the minds of the consumers, and they will come back and buy more this year,” Bo added.

Photos: MVFS