California farmer gives away nectarines amid dispute over selling rights

Cesar Mora, a third-generation farmer in Reedley, California, turned his orchard into a free fruit line after a legal fight over who can market his white-flesh Monalise nectarines kept nearly 125,000 pounds from being sold. Thousands of visitors flocked to the Central Valley farm after Mora posted the giveaway on social media, and the crowd grew so large that authorities temporarily shut it down on Tuesday.

The dispute has been building since 2023 and now sits at the center of a broader battle over ownership and market power in specialty agriculture. Giumarra Brothers Fruit Co. says the rights to Monalise belong to Star Fruits Diffusion, a French plant-breeding company, and that Giumarra holds sublicensing rights for testing, production and sale. Mora says he signed a contract with Giumarra in 2017, but now argues the company lacks a valid patent or proof of ownership and says he was misled into the agreement.

By Wednesday, July 1, AP photographers documented the giveaway at Mora’s farm, where people lined up for a fruit that Mora says is sweeter and less tart than other nectarines. AP said he had already shared more than 100,000 pounds since Monday. Local coverage said the turnout was strong enough to force a temporary shutdown on Tuesday, underscoring how quickly consumer demand can overwhelm the legal channels that control a proprietary crop.

Mora has said the dispute has kept him from selling nearly 125,000 pounds of fruit for a second year in a row. He refused cash donations from visitors and said he would rather share the nectarines than let them rot, a stark illustration of what happens when growers are locked out of the market for a crop they produced. His Instagram account, @NoNectarinesWasted, drew widespread attention as the giveaway spread online, helping funnel more visitors to the orchard.

Giumarra, through Fresno-based counsel, has said the fight involves two written agreements and should be resolved in court. Mora has countersued, alleging unfair and fraudulent business practices. The case has a trial scheduled for later this month, and the outcome will shape who controls the sale of one farmer’s harvest, and who captures the profit from a fruit variety increasingly governed by private rights rather than open market access.