Top apple growers awarded

​Last year, spring weather conditions were very poor with high amounts of rainfall, creating intense apple scab infection and making spraying very difficult.

Nevertheless, the quality of harvested fruit was excellent and much of it has already been packed for the retail trade or processed into pie fillings, juice and cider. A considerable tonnage of 2024 crop was put into cold storage and is being used to supply customers until apples from the 2025 harvest are available.

Armagh Bramley, which has PGI marketing status, is highly appreciated by the catering trade for its unique flavour and texture.

Every year growers are encouraged to enter their best orchards into a competition organised by the Northern Ireland Fruit Growers’ Association (NIFGA). Awards are keenly contested as the judges look at every aspect of the growing Bramley crops including yield, freedom from pest and disease, orchard weed control etc. In 2024, NIFGA was very pleased to have commercial sponsorship for many of the awards and this helps to raise the market profile of our unique Armagh Bramley.

Results of the 2024 NIFGA orchard competition are as follows:

Aberdeen Challenge Cup sponsored by Engage Agri – Best orchard, five acres or more – 1st Herbie Sullivan, 2nd Stewart Glass

Gibson Challenge Cup sponsored by S. Muldoon & Son – Best orchard between three and five acres – 1st John Gilpin, 2nd Stewart Glass

McCaig & Webb Challenge Cup sponsored by Burkes Agri Ltd – Best orchard between one and three acres – 1st Gordon Glass, 2nd John & Ben McAlister

Murphy Challenge Cup – Best orchard between one and three acres, which has not won a cup in the last four years – 1st John & Ben McAlister, 2nd John Gilpin

Raymond Price Memorial Trophy sponsored by Engage Agri Ltd – Best intensive orchard between one and three acres – 1st Drew Lavery, 2nd Herbie Sullivan

R.H. McClelland Cup sponsored by J. F. McKenna Ltd – Best intensive orchard of three acres or more

– 1st Herbie Sullivan, 2nd Nathan Johnston

Plant Protection Cup sponsored by Sprayrite Agri Ltd – Orchard with the highest state of crop husbandry, especially freedom from diseases and pests – 1st Morgan Brothers

NIFGA are very appreciative of the time taken by the judges, Kieran Lavelle (CAFRE) and Malcolm Dawson (formerly of AFBI), to judge the 2024 orchard entries and congratulate all the winners. They encourage all their members to enter orchards into the 2025 competitions.