South Carolina Peach Facts

South Carolina Peach Facts

The "Tastier Peach State" has a long heritage of peach production which was begun by pioneers who had the foresight and the wherewithal to try something new---an alternative to the waning row crop industry of the early 1900s.

Commercial peach production in South Carolina dates from the 1860s, but today peaches are grown in three main areas of the state---the "Ridge", the "Coastal Plain" and the "Piedmont". The Ridge is in the south central area, the Coastal Plain runs along the eastern shore, and the Piedmont runs along the northwest region of the state.

Henry William Ravenel of Aiken is credited as the first reported commercial shipper in 1859, and Colonel R.B. Watson, South Carolina's first Commissioner of Agriculture, is credited as the first commercial peach producer to ship peaches out-of-the-state in 1870s.

There are over 200 million pounds of peaches harvested in South Carolina in a normal year.

The South Carolina peach industry is valued at $35 million (down to $20-$30 million in last few years because of droughts and other weather conditions.)

South Carolina ranks #2 in fresh peach production and interstate shipments. Georgia ranks #3 nationally in fresh production. (At one time, one county in South Carolina could produce more commercially-grown fresh peaches than the entire state of Georgia.)

South Carolina only has about 9 peach packing sheds left in the state. Each packing shed requires about 100 to 150 people to pack and ship peaches. That's at least 1,000 people in the community directly dependent on packing peaches. Add to that, those businesses which rely on service and supply, and the numbers of jobs and revenue increases significantly. By the end of the late 30s, there were over 250 commercial peach packingplants in the Piedmont alone.

Weather is the most crucial condition for growing crops. If the weather changes even one or two degrees at a critical time, it could make or break a peach crop.

Inclement weather has caused many to reduce acreage and diversify over the years.

Peaches are so revered in some areas of South Carolina that festivals are held honoring the regal Palmetto peach. There is also a water tower in Gaffney, South Carolina, called the "Peachoid", which advertises the economic power of the Palmetto peach to passers-by.

Consumers today expect more out of what they buy, and that is why South Carolina growers have improved and are continuing to improve their peach quality. The sugar level is superb, making South Carolina peaches sweeter and tastier. South Carolina growers can get peaches from the tree to the table in three days or less. That's almost as fresh as picking peaches from the tree.

In a normal growing year, a combination of favorable growing conditions, good production methods, and good marketing techniques makes South Carolina peaches the "Tastier Peaches".

Our peach growers are good businessmen. They are willing to adapt to present and future market conditions, and they pay special attention to market trends.

South Carolina growers know that they must be flexible and change with the times. The trend today is more market-oriented, not volume-oriented. We now have better, more efficient equipment---such as electronic weight sizers which give us good accurate, consistent weights for those attractive, large, red peaches which are in demand by consumers.

For generations, peaches have been a valuable asset to agriculture in South Carolina. Peaches mean different things to different people. To some, peach production means continuing the legacy inherited from their ancestors---those who found an opportunity and cultivated a marketable commodity in peaches. For others, it means a good, profitable business and an economic base for the community. To others, it is a way of life in South Carolina. And, still for others, it means a fresh, sweet, succulent peach which delivers a burst of flavor on the first bite. Whatever the meaning, peaches have a place in the hearts of South Carolinians and in the eyes (and tastebuds) of those in other states and other nations who covet their quality and taste.