The growing season has been excellent for Washington apples, says Robb Myers, and that is just the start of the good news.
Myers, vice president of business development for Wenatchee, Wash.-based CMI Orchards, said in a news release that the marketer will have a great selection of branded, core and organic apples and pears in the 2023 crop.
“We set a lot of king blossoms this year, and the best blooms always produce the best fruit,” Myers said. “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, Joel Hewitt, CMI domestic sales and organic manager, said in the release.
“Sizing looks optimal, and the condition of the crop is shaping up nicely to have year-round availability for most of our varieties,” he said. “All indications suggest we’ll see a stellar crop.”
Hewitt said that growers have planted varieties that meet the demands of the market.
Related: Washington apple crop up big for 2023, grower group says
“Our growers are multigenerational orchardists carrying legacies that are ripe with expertise,” he said. “They’re able to play matchmaker by planting popular, profitable managed varieties and the best-tasting core varieties in select microclimates and harvest altitudes, which allows them to bring the freshest, highest-quality, most popular products to market.”
Signs point to increased production for organic, core and managed variety volume, Hewitt said.
Scott McDougall of McDougall and Sons, an ownership arm of CMI, said in the release that he is optimistic about the 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,” McDougall said. “We’re hopeful for a great season ahead, pending any unforeseen circumstances.”
Retailers can already plan promotions around the crop, Hewitt said.
“Shoppers will enjoy fruit with exceptional flavor and color this coming season, and retailers who start off the season prepared—with planning, promotions and point-of-sale materials—will have an advantage,” Hewitt said in the release.
