Imported KIKU Apple Program Continues to Grow

Columbia Marketing International's import season for the KIKU apple variety is growing thanks to their New Zealand partners. Increasing volumes of imported New Zealand KIKU apples are being delivered as CMI’s import program gains steam. The U.S. demand for the Super Sweet KIKU apple continues to grow each year that it has been in production since 2008. Bob Mast, CMI president, commented on the growing program, “I think the key to any strong program is providing a consistently good, full-flavored eating experience for the consumer. New Zealand KIKU growers make our job seamless as they provide us with some of the finest crunchy and sweet KIKU apples that consumers have grown to love.” Retail partners have played the largest role in spreading the news about this apple that is growing in popularity by sharing the KIKU apple in demos at their stores and allowing people to see for themselves that this “quite possibly may be the sweetest apple they have ever tasted.” The imported KIKU apple is available now through August, and then again with the domestic crop in the fall. Though this is a limited production apple, CMI growers as well as many other growers around the world that are part of the KIKU global program are continuing  to expand their orchards and production will continue to increase each year. These expansion efforts, along with their partnership with New Zealand KIKU growers allows retailers to extend their profits later into the season and consumers to be able to enjoy KIKU apples further into the year.