CMI Orchards, Wenatchee, Wash., has formed a partnership with Yakima Fruit and Cold Storage Co., adding more than three million boxes of apples to CMI’s annual offerings.
CMI Orchards will increase daily sales throughout the season, with the added capacity packed at Yakima Fruit and Storage facilities, according to a news release.
“This is all a part of a long-range plan for strategic growth to better serve our growers as well as our expanding customer base,” Bob Mast, CMI president, said in the release.
CMI Orchards added Pine Canyon Growers, Orondo, Wash., in 2018, as a grower, packer and shipper.
The Yakima Fruit partnership became official March 20, boosting volume of varieties that include Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, Pink Lady and traditional varieties.
“Yakima Fruit has a highly desirable manifest that we are excited to add to our offerings, including exceptional early Honeycrisp among other key varieties,” Mast said in the release.
Yakima Fruit President Mike Wilcox said in the release that the company has considered other sales and marketing partnerships, but chose CMI Orchards because it has “proven time and time again they are innovation leaders, paving the way with many of the top-selling branded apple varieties in the USA.”
The agreement gives CMI Orchards land without fruit trees, and the company is considering planting early cherry varieties, as well as licensed/branded apples and cherries, according to the release.
“This partnership will greatly increase CMI’s ability to service our customer base with fruit on a year- round basis,” Mast said in the release. “We are excited to have additional premium fruit to offer our customers and to continue to supply the highest quality fruit that we can, serving the needs of the market.”
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