Teagasc, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority, has established a new apple research orchard at its crops research centre in Oak Park, Carlow, which it says, ‘represents a fundamental step in developing the apple sector in Ireland’.
It is hoped that the research could be the catalyst for the development of the dessert apple sector in Ireland. The domestic retail market for dessert apples is worth €135m with over 90% currently filled by imports, so the potential for import substitution with locally grown apples is there. The Irish climate is suitable for growing apples, and there are new varieties and technologies available for evaluation and adoption in an Irish climate. The consumer has a positive perception of Irish apples, and there is favourable consumer behaviour towards healthy eating and short supply chains.
If the sector is to develop, then the right choices of variety, rootstock and training system will be fundamental to achieving high yield efficiency, high fruit quality and consequently good profitability for existing and new fruit growers.
During a recent visit to the new facility, Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Pippa Hackett, commented, “This new apple research project at Oak Park will help to underpin future potential development in a sector worth €135m, the vast majority of which is currently taken up by imports. It is a small part of the larger horticulture sector, which is a key focus of mine. I am delighted to have secured a total package of €14.35m for the sector for the year ahead. We continue to progress the delivery of the National Strategy for Horticulture, setting out a vision for the sector for the next five years.”
Director of Teagasc, Prof. Frank O’Mara, added, “There are no shortcuts when it comes to developing the apple sector. We start at the beginning, where the science behind modern apple varieties and production systems are evaluated in an Irish context so that we can play our part in creating an enabling environment for the sector to expand. We have recruited a new research officer, Alberto Ramos Luz, to run the programme and invested resources in the orchard, lab facilities and equipment and I am looking forward to seeing the fruits of this new research programme”.