CAL APRICOT INDUSTRY REPORT
A review of the current California apricot crop in addition to changes and challenges to the industry

For breaking statistics and information, please contact the Apricot Producers of California.

Review of California's 2001 Apricot Crop

• California currently produces 95% plus of all apricots grown in the United States

• The majority of California's apricot orchards cover 17,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley with the leading production area being Stanislaus County

• Tonnage Harvested:

• Approximately 69,000 tons were sold for all usages (out of 77,000 tons total crop produced)
• Percent of crop to various usages:

Canning/Concentrate 59%
Frozen 13%
Dried 8%
Fresh Market 20%

• Patterson variety apricots are the most prevalent variety used for all usages, except for dried which uses the Blenheim variety apricots
 

• Tonnage Unharvested:

• 8,000 tons left in the field representing 10% of the total produced, 12% of the total purchased
 

• Growers:

• Most of the 200 current growers are small, family-owned businesses with the average farm being only 50 to 60 acres 
• Since some growers are no longer producing fruit and have pulled their trees, the number of tons-per-grower has doubled, resulting in greater concentration of production among a drastically reduced number of growers
 

Changes in California Apricot Industry From 1994-2001

• Total Tonnage Lost:

• From 1994-2001, the California apricot industry produced approximately 70,000 fewer tons, a reduction of nearly 48%
• California apricot production in 1994 was 147,118 tons versus 77,000 tons in 2001
• About half of the lost tonnage is from cutbacks in canning and freezing production; the other half is due to lost dried apricot utilization
• A direct relationship exists between the reduction of California dried apricot tonnage and an increase in Turkish dried apricot tonnage, with most consumers not realizing that a difference other than price exists
 

Industry Challenges

• Tri-Valley Growers, the largest processor that handled 60 percent of the industry's canned apricots, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2000

• In the 2000 harvest, Tri-Valley only packed about 60% of their growers' tonnage, leaving 11,000 tons in the field to rot; in addition, growers only received 60 percent of the established payment price. This was the second year of reduced tonnage and payment amounts
• Now Signature Fruit Company, a privately-held company established as Tri-Valley's successor, purchases less than half of the membership tonnage established under the old Tri-Valley cooperative
 

• Del Monte Foods and Pacific Coast Producers, the remaining major processors, handle about 55% of the industry's total canned apricots
 

Import Pressures

• Import pressures continue to pose a great concern to California's apricot industry.
• Specifically, California's canned apricot industry is facing serious consequences if South Africa is granted duty-free access to the U.S. market; South Africa is a lower-cost producer

• Without the tariff, South African canned apricots would be substantially cheaper than domestic canned apricots
• The South African canned apricot industry is approximately 10,000 tons larger than the U.S. industry today
• Bill Ferriera, President of the Apricot Producers of California, presented oral and written testimony to the International Trade Commission Hearing and the GSP Subcommittee on GSP for Sub-Saharan African Countries regarding the impact on the U.S. apricot industry and continues to aggressively support and fight for the industry

• Countries such as Argentina and Chile also import apricots; upcoming tariff decisions also will impact the United States apricot industry