Fewer acres of California farmland are devoted to cultivation compared to 10 years ago. At that time, freestone peach and nectarine growers voted to end the California Tree Fruit Agreement. However, apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums, prunes (USDA distinguishes them from plums in the data) and sweet cherries continue to perform well.
For peaches, plums and prunes, the number of acres that bear fruit has declined over the last decade, but total sales have increased. Nectarines and apricots fell, but did not match the acre reduction. According to data from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, between 2011 and 2020, only cherries increased both fruiting acres and cash value.
According to Ian LeMay, president of California. California Fresh Fruit Association, cherries are unique among drupes in that they are harvested early to overcome fierce competition with the Pacific Northwest. But he told industry-update.com: “You have some volatility with respect to the weather conditions of the crop,” referring to their vulnerability to spring storms.
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