The US peach market is tight, after a short crop last season. The yield is expected to be around 5% higher than last year’s. There are worries about fruit size, possibly affected by hot weather.
In Greece, hot weather has farmers concerned about fruit sizing. In Greece, severe hailstorms destroyed a good part of the crop; minimal exports are expected. China still offers hope for the US market. While some packers report the crop volume is down 40%, the USDA forecasted only a 4% drop for China – the final figure may be somewhere in between. Quality packers in China however realize they’re the main players that can make up for shortages in the rest of the world, and pricing for high quality third-party audited fruit is firm as a result.
