California tomato processors reportedly will have contracts for 12.6 million tons in 2011 as of January, according to the California Processing Tomato Report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in Sacramento, Calif.

Processors estimate contracted production at 268,000 acres with 47-ton per acre yields.

The contracted planted acreage forecast is 1,000 acres less than reported in the California Processing Tomato Report released in August 2010.

The California NASS Field Office surveyed California tomato processors for the upcoming season. The data reported by processors was based on either tonnage with derived acreage or acreage with derived tonnage.

This early processing tomato estimate is funded by the California League of Food Processors in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.