WENATCHEE, WA - Apple season is on the way, and reports are indicating marked changes in trends for demand. Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing at CMI, took the time to discuss some of the company’s expectations as far as sizing, packaging, and a shift in consumer apple tastes.

To hear my entire conversation with Steve, listen to the audio interview above.

“Reds and golds have sort of been the icons of the Northwest apple industry for over 50 years and this year Honeycrisp have been in high demand and there’s an anticipation of a 33 percent increase in the coming year,” Steve tells me.

CMI also just released estimates for the 2015 apple crop statewide in Washington, which reflects some significant changes in Washington orchards that could result in a predicted 10.5 percent decline from last year’s record harvest, something Steve stated in a press that is not uncommon after a bumper crop like that of 2014.

Steve also indicated a focus on the company’s pouch bag this season due to an expectation in smaller sizes for the 2015 season, which look to be a consistent result across the board.

“We’re hearing from horticulturists that fruit size is anticipated to be smaller this year, down one to two sizes, so certainly that’s coming in to play,” Steve said, explaining that it has been a warmer season which could influence the size. “That does indicate that we’ll have a greater percentage of our crop going into our pouch bags. The pouch bag offers a great value and a terrific package for consumers.”

Steve also added in the release that the hidden news in the crop report is newer variety apples continue to make up for the production declines in legacy varieties.

“CMI growers have made huge investments so that we have plenty of high-colored Honeycrisp on the way. To maximize the success of this variety, we’re introducing our new Happy Bee™ Honeycrisp pouch bag program, which will drive retail excitement this Fall. We’ll also have significant increases in production of our popular branded apples like Ambrosia™, KIKU® and Kanzi®.”

The company also added that organic apple and pear production are a spotlight for the coming season. “CMI leads the organic apple and pear category with our #1 Daisy Girl brand. Our growers estimate that in the coming year our production of our Daisy Girl Organic apples and pears will jump by about 10 percent.”

Steve expressed excitement for that news due to the increasing popularity for the organic category.

Keep checking in with AndNowUKnow for all the latest apple and fresh produce updates.

CMI