For generations, a massive Central Valley plant helped turn California’s harvest into products found in kitchens across the country. Now, that operation is quietly shutting down, leaving hundreds of workers without jobs and an agricultural community facing an uncertain future. The fallout could stretch far beyond the factory gates.
Del Monte cannery closure
One of California’s most recognizable food manufacturing sites is winding down operations, triggering widespread layoffs and leaving a Central Valley community bracing for economic fallout. Del Monte Foods has confirmed plans to close its longtime fruit cannery in Modesto, ending more than a century of production at the site.
The closure marks another blow to California’s shrinking food manufacturing sector, particularly in regions historically tied to agriculture and processing.
Timeline for layoffs
Del Monte filed for bankruptcy in July 2025, and auctioned off its assets to three different companies in January 2026.
As of the latest reports, Del Monte Foods has begun winding down operations at its Modesto fruit cannery, but a specific final shutdown date has not yet been publicly announced. Local officials and workers are still waiting for formal notices that would detail the exact timeline for ceasing production and layoffs.
Hundreds of jobs impacted
The shutdown affects roughly 600 full-time employees, along with an estimated 800 to 1,200 seasonal workers who are typically hired during peak canning months. Many of those seasonal jobs support local farm workers and families who rely on the cannery’s summer production cycle for steady income.
For workers, the announcement came amid ongoing uncertainty following Del Monte’s recent financial restructuring. While some employees may be offered short-term transition assistance, the loss of the plant represents a permanent reduction in local manufacturing employment.
A ripple effect across the Central Valley
The Modesto facility has long served as a cornerstone of the region’s agricultural supply chain, processing locally grown peaches, pears, and tomatoes. Its closure is expected to ripple outward, affecting farmers, trucking companies, packaging suppliers, and small businesses that depend on the cannery’s operations.
Local leaders have warned that the loss of the plant could accelerate economic strain in an area already grappling with rising costs and fewer industrial employers.
Part of a larger food manufacturing shift
Del Monte’s closure reflects a broader trend playing out across California, where food and beverage manufacturers are consolidating operations, relocating production, or exiting the state altogether. High operating costs, aging facilities, and shifting consumer demand have increasingly pushed companies to invest elsewhere.
For Modesto, the end of Del Monte’s cannery closes a historic chapter, and underscores the fragile state of traditional food manufacturing jobs in California.