<p>Columbia Marketing International (CMI) has announced that the harvest is now over and its KIKU® brand apples are ready to ship from its growing/shipping partners, Rice Fruit Company, located in the heart of Pennsylvania’s orchard county.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> The KIKU® brand Alliance is represented by a group of 3 of the leading growers/shippers in North America – CMI in Washington State, Rice Fruit Company in Pennsylvania, and Applewood Orchards, Inc. in Michigan. “We wanted to be able to offer consumers product out of the Northwest as well as regional and local programs and that is why we felt very strongly about teaming up with two premier growers in the Midwest and Eastern parts of the United States,” said Bob Mast, President of CMI.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Alliance allows the program to extend the seasonal availability of KIKU® brand apples. KIKU® apples are currently available from Rice Fruit Company, will be available from Applewood Orchards Inc. in Michigan, in mid-November, and then available out of the Northwest in mid-January, according to a press release. North American availability along with KIKU® apples available out of the southern hemisphere in the spring and summer months may eventually lead to a year round program with tonnage increases as new orchards begin to produce more fruit each season.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> John Rice, Vice President of Rice Fruit Company, comments, “With optimal weather conditions this season our fruit colored up nicely, grew large in size and became very sweet in flavor,” he said.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">With their super sweet taste, crunchy flesh, and high juice content, you might need a napkin after eating these delicious ruby-red apples!</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://cmiapples.com/consumer/kiku" target="_new"> Columbia Marketing International </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
