As of January, California’s tomato processors could sign grower contracts to produce 11.6 million tons of production in 2017 - the lowest tonnage since 2006.

This forecast is based on the results of a tomato processor survey conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Why the major reduction in tonnage? Base inventories are high after record production in 2014 and 2015.

Processors estimate this year’s California contracted production will be grown on 235,000 acres, the lowest acreage since 1998. The acreage forecast represents a 10 percent decrease from guestimates in the August 2016 California Processing Tomato Report.

Processors expect tomato yields to average 49.4 tons per acre.

The data reported by processors was either tonnage with derived acreage, or acreage with derived tonnage.

The early processing tomato estimate is funded by the California League of Food Processors with the assistance of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.