A court ordered a California farmer to destroy nectarine trees following a dispute with a supplier.

The conflict between producer Cesar Mora and the agribusiness company Giumarra began due to a disagreement over ownership rights to a stone fruit harvest. The farmer insisted that he had been growing the trees himself for ten years, while the company claimed its rights to the nectarine cultivar and accused Mora of breaching contract terms.

According to Giumarra, the farmer violated contractual obligations by selling part of the harvest to another supplier. In turn, Mora filed a countersign, accusing the agribusiness company of fraud and providing false information. Legal proceedings in the Fresno County Superior Court ended with a jury verdict after three hours of deliberation. The jury rejected Mora's arguments that Giumarra had failed to fulfill its obligations and acknowledged the fact of a contract breach by the farmer. Nevertheless, the court ruled that Mora is not required to pay compensation to the company.

After the verdict was delivered, Cesar Mora expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of corporations that lure small producers into programs that, in his opinion, harm farmers. Mora's lawyers stated their intention to file an appeal. According to the court's decision, the farmer is required to destroy the trees by the end of October.

Previously, Cesar Mora attracted public attention by hosting a free giveaway of thousands of nectarines at his farm. The event caused such a stir and congestion of cars that the California Highway Patrol was forced to temporarily restrict traffic for safety reasons.