Nearly all of the commercially grown plums in the U.S. are hybrids of the Japanese plum introduced in the 1870s and hybridized by Luther Burbank in the late 1800s. New York produces 584 acres of plums while eastern NY is responsible for 152 acres of the total. California dominates production due to mild winters and minimal rainfall.

Consumption of fresh plums in the United States hovers at just under one pound per person, although, like many other fruit, health benefits and great flavor continue to keep consumers interested.

Over the last 20 years, Cornell research and extension projects have helped growers increase yields and fruit quality by increasing tree densities and improving labor efficiency. We estimate that profitability of new high density orchards is 100 to 300% greater than the traditional low-density orchards. For more information about tree fruit production, please visit the Cornell Tree Fruit website at http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/tree_fruit/index.htm.


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