CMI Orchards, one of Washington State’s largest growers, shippers, and packers of cherries, shared its most recent fresh crop update, with harvest underway. Given recent favorable weather, CMI reports a promising Northwest cherry season ahead with a potential 75% harvest increase year-on-year, primarily in red cherries.

“The quality is really excellent this year,” says Joel Hewitt, CMI’s domestic sales and organics manager. “In comparison to last year, where our tonnage was affected by complicated weather, we’re expecting a much brighter outcome with excellent quality from the color and condition to eating experience.”

Hewitt reports that CMI will peak the last week of June through the entire month of July, tapering off at the end of August. 

“These forecasted volumes mean more fruit for domestic and export customers, offering a greater ability to meet the strong demand for Northwest cherries in all the countries we normally ship to,” says Hewitt. 

“CMI carries the largest varietal selection of cherries available in the market today,” adds Rochelle Bohm, CMI’s vice president of marketing. “This, coupled with high-graphic point-of-sale materials and omnichannel support, means we’re uniquely positioned to not only set retailers up to drive their sales but also capture those impulse purchases that cherries inspire year-over-year.”

CMI’s jumbo-sized feel-good promotion program features graphic packaging designs crafted to capture sales and bring repeat customers back time and time again.

CMI's XXL Cherry label