CMI Orchards, focuses on top club varieties

Apples are not the only fruit category produced and shipped worldwide by CMI, which also packs over 2 million boxes of premium cherries per season, from June until the end of July. CMI is renowned for its large availability of proprietary varieties, as the US partner of major international apple clubs like Kanzi, Kiku, Envy and Jazz. “We are members of six of the top ten apple clubs,” said Danelle Huber, marketing specialist at CMI orchards. The latest brand, launched last year, is Smitten®, a new proprietary from New Zealand. Positioned in the Gala segment, it is sweeter, very crispy and early. The variety also has a longer storage capacity and can be marketed until the month of June. CMI is also a reference for the Ambrosia variety, now a public one in the US. The best part of its production has now been rebranded as “Ambrosia Gold”, which is the perfect Ambrosia or simply the best Ambrosia on the US market. A new website (www.ambrosia.gold) has been launched to ensure better communication with consumers. CMI markets between 10 and 11 million boxes each year, one million of which are shipped across Asia, mainly to China, Hong Kong and most countries of South-East Asia.