The Dealer is old enough to remember a time when every second farm had a few apple and plum trees, and when there were three or four decent orchards in every parish.

Are we heading back to those days? Has a 21st century Johnny Appleseed taken root in Oak Park? Well, not exactly, but listening to Professor Frank O’Mara at the ASA conference it appears that apples are in for a bit of a push from Teagasc.

Indeed, Prof O’Mara name-checked apple production as a niche enterprise for the future.

This tallies with developments in the sector. Teagasc is currently chairing the Apple Development Group (ADG) in association with the Irish Apple Growers Association (IAGA), Bord Bia and Department of Agriculture.

The ADG has identified the apple sector as having considerable potential for development, The Dealer understands.

Currently Irish apple production – including eating, cider and culinary – is valued at €10m. However, annual retail sales of eating apples top €155m.

Can Irish farmers get a bigger slice of that action?

An apple a day...