Central California peach farmers are preparing to destroy around 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte Foods shut down its canneries earlier this year. Del Monte, the 139-year-old canned fruit and vegetable company, permanently closed its canneries in Modesto and Hughson in April following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing last July. The closures left hundreds of workers without jobs and devastated growers, many of whom lost 20-year contracts with Del Monte and had few alternative buyers for their crops. Farmers could face an estimated $550 million in lost revenue. Affected growers could receive up to $9 million in federal aid to remove the trees before the upcoming harvest season. The growers can then pivot to another crop.
