Wenatchee, WA: CMI Orchards gears up for the new crop with the largest selection of branded, core, and organic apples and pears all in one place. Despite a late bloom, CMI’s Robb Myers, Vice President of Business Development, reports that it was an excellent one.
“We set a lot of king blossoms this year,” explains Myers, “and the best blooms always produce the best fruit. On top of that, the weather hasn’t been too hot, which means the trees are able to focus on growing the fruit rather than trying to survive any sort of inclement weather conditions.”
This perfect alignment of factors yields a promising outlook for the upcoming new crop, explains Joel Hewitt, the Domestic Sales and Organic Manager at CMI. Says Hewitt, “Sizing looks optimal, and the condition of the crop is shaping up nicely to have year-round availability for most of our varieties. All indications suggest we’ll see a stellar crop.”
Hewitt adds that CMI understands the need for apples to be on the shelf year-round, and that’s exactly what their extremely knowledgeable growers are accomplishing. “Our growers are multi-generational orchardists carrying legacies that are ripe with expertise,” he explains. “They’re able to play matchmaker by planting popular, profitable managed varieties and the best-tasting core varieties in select micro-climates and harvest altitudes, which allows them to bring the freshest, highest quality, most popular products to market.”
These experienced growers, adds Hewitt, will drive this spectacular incoming crop. “Our forecast shows that we’re going to be up in everything: organic, core, and managed variety volume,” he says.
Scott McDougall of McDougall and Sons, an ownership arm of CMI, remains optimistic for a spectacular harvest. “This is one of the nicest, cleanest apple crops I’ve ever seen at this point in the growing season, with minimal russeting and blemishes,” says McDougall. “We’re hopeful for a great season ahead, pending any unforeseen circumstances.”
With harvest just beginning, Hewitt says that it’s incredibly important for retailers to capitalize on this quality crop to meet increasing consumer demand. “Shoppers will enjoy fruit with exceptional flavor and color this coming season,” he explains, “and retailers who start off the season prepared—with planning, promotions and point-of-sale materials—will have an advantage.”
About CMI Orchards:
CMI Orchards is one of Washington State’s largest growers, shippers and packers of premium quality conventional and organic apples, pears, and cherries. Based in Wenatchee, WA, CMI Orchards delivers outstanding fruit across the U.S.A. and exports to over 60 countries worldwide.
