California 2025 forecast up slightly

Accordiing to the USDA/NASS 2025 California Processing Tomato Report released on 29 May 2025, as of May 15, California’s tomato processors reported they have or will have contracts for 10.3 million short tons (9.344 million metric tonnes) of processing tomatoes for 2025.

This production estimate is 1 percent above the January intentions forecast of 10.2 million tons and 7 percent below the final 2024 contracted production.
 
The May contracted acreage of 205,000 (82,800 hectares) is 3 percent above the January intentions forecast of 200,000 acres (80,800 hectares) and 23,000 acres (9,200 hectares) less than last year’s final planted acreage.
 

Fresno County remains the top California county in contracted planted acreage for 2025 with 53,400 acres. Yolo, Merced, Kings and San Joaquin make up the remaining top five counties, accounting for 68 percent of the 2025 total contracted planted acreage for California.

This year’s transplanting season began in late February without delay. The developing crop has experienced mostly mild spring temperatures and a few storms, lessening the need for irrigation. There are sufficient water allocations to support the crop through the summer heat. Neither pest nor disease threats have been reported at this point in the season. Processors anticipate harvest to begin and end on schedule, similar to 2024.

Tomato supplies continued to be adequate enough to meet global demand and tomato processors have significantly decreased contracted acreage and tonnage in order to rebalance inventories on hand.