What country is the largest producer of peaches?

China, the world's leading producer of fruit, is also by far the leading producer of peaches.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, as of 2010, peach production in China was 10 million tonnes (11 million short tons), accounting for 50% of world production. Other leading peach producers are Italy (10%), Spain (7%) and the United States (6%). Since most of China's peaches are for domestic consumption, China is not the world's largest exporter of peaches, but instead ranks as the fifth-largest peach exporter, behind Spain, Italy, France and the United States (4th). China's export of peaches to the U.S. during 2010 was valued at about US$55 million.

The peach is indigenous to China, with its historical records traced from fossil stones in Wu County in Jiangsu province, during archaeological excavations. The two types of peaches (Prunus persica, a deciduous fruit) are clingstone and freestone; the history and cultivation of both types have been traced as far back as 1000 BC in China. They are now grown worldwide.