California accounts for over 90 percent of US processing tomato production. The crop is grown in the state’s San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys. Fields are planted from late January through early June for continuous harvest from the first week of July through mid-October.
This year, contracted production for California processing tomatoes is forecast at 14.5 million tons, averaging 49.5 tons per acre. The current forecast production is four percent above the 2014 crop, and one percent above the May forecast.
The 2015 crop year has had low disease and pest pressures and cooperative weather. Similar to 2014, the availability of water has been the primary issue affecting yield. The ongoing, extreme drought in California has forced growers to fallow land and cut back on the acreage for many crops. However, despite the water concerns, the acreage devoted to processing tomatoes has increased from last year. The projected harvested acreage of tomatoes is 293,000 acres, a three percent increase from 2014.
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Source: NASS USDA