CMI, a Washington state grower-shippers of premium-quality conventional and organic apples, pears and cherries, has started its import season for the exotic KIKU® apple variety. Once the imported KIKU® apples are gone, customers will have to wait until the new domestic crop is available next fall.

All the signs point to good volume and quality for California’s blueberry producers. “We’re hunkering down for a good blueberry season,” said Alexander Ott, executive director of the California Blueberry Commission. “Overall, the season has been really good.”

Bruce Turner, a produce industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in shipping, packing, marketing and retail, has joined Curry & Co. as director of sales and business development for berries.

Baloian Farms, based in Fresno, CA, opened a new office in Nogales, AZ, that will be headed by industry veteran Luis Corella in a move toward becoming a year-round player in the pepper category.

Family Tree Farms Marketing LLC in Reedley, CA, may not be one of “the big guys” in the California cherry deal. But in the early season out of the Central Valley, the company is one of the main players, according to Dovey Plain, marketing coordinator.

“We have a good grape program coming up,” Gonzalo Avila, vice president and general manager of Malena Produce Inc. in Nogales, AZ, said in an interview with The Produce News.

Malena will have additional acreage in its Sonora grape program this year. “We are growing our program a little bit,” Mr. Avila said. “We have new vineyards coming on, particularly in Flames,” but “volume is going to be up across the board for us at Malena.”