Apple grower faces no shortage of challenges as he grows around 6m every year

Some 83% of the fruit and vegetables we consume are not Irish. We now import 70,000 tonnes of potatoes each year — as well as tens of thousands of tonnes of apples, carrots, onions and cabbage. In a special report, we investigate where our food comes from and why it matters.

Con Traas with a selection of their produce at The Apple Farm in Cahir, Co Tipperary. Pictures: Eddie O'Hare

For apple grower Con Trass most of the satisfaction with the job comes from overcoming the challenges.

And there is no shortage of challenges — input costs, retailer power, labour, difficult weather conditions, and climate change.

His parents were “born and raised” in the Netherlands, and fruit growing had been in the family as far back as the 1800s.

However, it was difficult for his parents to find new land for it there.

People travelled elsewhere to grow, such as the US, Canada, New Zealand, and like Mr Traas’ parents, Ireland was also a favourable location.

In 1967, they decided on a farm in Moorestown, between Cahir and Clonmel, now called The Apple Farm. Along with growing various crops, they planted their first orchard in 1968.

“There was already a little orchard on the farm, maybe an acre or that. They kept that for a couple of years until the new orchard they had planted started producing,” Con said.

He took over the farm in the early 1990s, and began “diversifying crops a little bit more”, branching into growing raspberries, cherries, and other fruits.

“We started making juice as well in the mid-1990s, an outlet for some of the fruit we didn’t have sales for,” he explained.

Cider and cider vinegar, and dried apple crisps were among the products that followed.

Con said Ireland allows for the growing of “very well-flavoured apples” — including Sissi Red, Discovery, Tipperary Pippin, Red Prince, and Bramley cooking apples to name a few.

Con said Ireland allows for the growing of 'very well-flavoured apples',  including Sissi Red, Discovery, Tipperary Pippin, Red Prince, and Bramley cooking apples to name a few.

The wet weather here actually has its perks – contributing to extra juiciness in the fruit.

He has around 40 acres of orchard, and he grows around 6m apples annually.

At this time of year, the 15 or so staff members monitor and manage the trees for diseases and pests.

In June, their attention will also turn to the number of apples on the trees, and they aim to have 125 on each, to ensure all the apples have the right size, flavour, and colour.

Harvest begins in August and can continue into November.

Con said one of the biggest challenges for growers in recent years is the cost of running a cold store for produce – exceptional increases in electricity costs had a “fair impact on the cost of getting an apple to the point of selling”. Growers saw bills doubling.

Around a third of the apples he grows are sold directly in his farm shop, and that gives peace of mind to many consumers and some further transparency.

The domestic retail market for eating apples is worth €135m. It is estimated that Irish growers only supply around 5% of the local eating apple market.

There are about 40 apple growers in the Republic, and of those, roughly 10 are supplying supermarkets. The rest are making juice or cider, or selling locally to a farm shop.

Growers don’t feel they are in a “very strong negotiating position” when it comes to selling to the big supermarkets, and it is always a concern that retailers may opt to import cheaper apples.

The changing climate is also a big concern for growers, however, at least “it is not unique to us” with growers in other countries suffering too, Con said.

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