CMI Orchards, known for its line of branded apples, is preparing for another season of New Zealand imports. For the past decade the Wenatchee, WA-based company has been offering New Zealand KIKU and Kanzi and is expanding this year’s program to include a limited supply of Jazz and Envy.

“We continue to bring in new test apple and pears to sample,” said Robb Myers, director of sales at CMI. “We see huge potential for some of the fruit we’ve tasted, and we’re really excited about future possibilities for global programs in the years ahead.”

The season kicks off June 1 with conventional Kanzi and will expand to include conventional Jazz, Envy and KIKU in the following weeks. In addition to running ads and demo programs, CMI’s World of Flavor promotion, celebrating the country of origin of their apples, helps retailers bridge the gap between domestic and imported fruit for consumers.

“Retailers can use some of the neat stuff we’ve created to drive excitement in store and draw attention to the country of origin of our apples,” said Rochelle Bohm, brand manager at CMI. “We have some really great displays, point of sale posters, plus flags and signage and we absolutely love working with retailers to custom build promotions for their stores so we can guarantee a successful event.”

Import volume always varies by season depending in a variety of factors such as domestic supply, market demand and competition for access to New Zealand Fruit. “We compete with many other global markets for New Zealand’s fruit,” said Myers, “and we are very lucky to have such great import partners that share the bounty of their harvest so that we can bring in delicious apples from one of the best growing regions in the world.”