The Prune Industry

California produces approximately 98% of the nation’s supply of prunes and over 40% of the world’s supply. The majority of the prunes raised are of the Prune d’Agen variety, or more commonly referred to as Standard French Prunes. Prunes are a hardy tree and with proper care, can produce a good crop for as long as 25 years.

The farm gate value of the California prune crop is roughly $160 million dollars each year, and 40% of this revenue comes from export sales. This is not surprising since California produces over 40% of the world's supply of prunes.

There are approximately 700 prune growers in California, growing between 80,000 and 100,000 tons of dried prunes per year with 40% of these growers belonging to Sunsweet Growers Inc., a grower processing and marketing cooperative. There are approximately 20 independent processors, but a handful of them market the majority of the independent tonnage. These large proprietary independent firms each handle 5,000 to 10,000 tons of dry prunes or 5% to 10% of the average state crop per year.