Bramley apple growers in the “orchard of Ireland” are holding out for a good crop thanks to promising weather. The 200 growers covering 2,000ha in Northern Ireland are enjoying “a favourable climate at the moment”, said Dermot Morgan, an Armagh grower and member of the Northern Ireland Fruit Growers Association.
Morgan, who is helping to organise the inaugural Armagh Bramley Apple Festival on 6 September, said Northern Ireland produces 40,000 tonnes of Bramleys in an average year and “hopefully when we start cropping it will be up to expectations”.
For the first time all three of Northern Ireland’s protected geographical indication (PGI) products will be together, said Morgan. They are Lough Neagh Eels, Comber Early Potatoes and Armagh Bramleys, which won the status two years ago. The festival will highlight the new status.
PGI promotes and protects names of quality of agricultural products and foodstuffs. They are based on a legal framework provided by the EU on quality schemes.
UK Protected Food Names Association chairman Hamilton Loney said gaining EU protected food-name status gave Armagh Bramley apple growers a unique opportunity to grow market share.
Source: HortWeek – Favourable Climate Boosts Bramley Apple Growers in Northern Ireland
