Californian Stone Fruit

California’s Central Valley is often referred to as the “fruit basket of the world”. Fresh fruit from the region can be found on the shelves of grocery stores, feeding families throughout the United States and the world including Australia. California supplies Australia with citrus, grapes, and stone fruits when the local production is out of season helping Australian consumers to enjoy fresh fruit all year round.

California is the largest producer of stone fruit in the United States. The region accounts for over 80 per cent of the nation’s 600,000 tonnes of stone fruit production. Around 20 per cent of the stone fruit is exported.

Stone fruit has been exported to Australia since 2012 from July to September each year and last year supplied around 600 tonnes. In contrast, Australia produces over 100,000 tonnes of stone fruit from November to April and consumed 85 per cent in the domestic market, and exported 15,000 tonnes.

Fresh stone fruit is a labour intensive crop that is meticulously maintained over the course of its growth and harvested by hand to deliver high-quality fruit to consumers around the world. California’s Central Valley has the soil, the sun, and an industry that is committed to keeping delicious, fresh, and healthy California stone fruit in supermarkets because it’s what we love.