Debate contribution: Apple-growing Industry in Newry and Armagh
Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on .
- MLA
- Mr Andrew Muir
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 7 October 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- Apple-growing Industry in Newry and Armagh
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5165288
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. As Minister, I am very aware of the importance of the apple harvest to growers in County Armagh and the positive impact that it delivers for the economy, the environment and biodiversity in the region. Before taking up this post, I often visited the "Orchard County". I have bought apples from the "Orchard County" and made apple pie and apple crumble. In 2020, I planted an apple tree in my garden, and those apples have been used for consumption at home, in an amazing apple crumble that my mum made, but they have also been given to Hydebank Wood Secure College for consumption by the horse on site, and they have been eagerly taken up. Therefore, I am very aware of the benefits of apples. I have been down to Armagh as Minister and have met the producers and processors. I understand the importance of the industry to agriculture, the local society and the economy. I want to outline that land use for the commercial production of apples is eligible for financial support under my Department's farm sustainability transition payment. It will continue to be eligible as the scheme transitions to the farm sustainability payment within the sustainable agriculture programme in 2026. On 1 September this year, my Department commenced the 2025 farm sustainability transition payment to farm businesses. A total of £299,388 was paid against land in County Armagh registered for use as commercial orchards. That includes payments to commercial apple growers. Since 2015, funding totalling £123,758 has been awarded for projects delivered through my Department's Northern Ireland regional food programme for promotional activities associated with the annual Food and Cider Weekend, which I enjoyed recently. That funding has supported a wide range of activities, all of which focus on celebrating the region's PGI status for the Armagh Bramley apple. As part of this year's Food and Cider Weekend festival, as I said, I recently attended the apple spirits tasting masterclass in Armagh, and I was pleased to learn more about the journey of the apple from the orchard to a range of finished products. This year's festival was awarded £14,100 from the regional food programme. My Department is also working with the apple industry, through CAFRE, in the delivery of industry training and knowledge and technology transfer to meet its needs. The support includes disseminating modelling reports to growers on the influence of environmental conditions on pest and disease risk. CAFRE's Loughry college also helps the top-fruit industry by providing technical support, advice and training relating to the processing and packaging of apples and apple products. Commercial apple growers who hold a category 1 or 2 farm business ID can also avail themselves of support through the horticulture pilot scheme. The scheme, which will be delivered as part of the sustainable agriculture programme, comprises three pilot subschemes: the sustainable sector growth groups pilot scheme; the growers training and support pilot scheme; and the innovation driver and support pilot scheme. Public awareness sessions to publicise the scheme are ongoing and have included sessions with apple growers.
I have, and I am coming on to that. Applications for the sustainable sector growth groups and growers training support schemes will open on 31 October. In addition, under the sustainable agriculture programme, my Department is developing the sustainable farming investment scheme, which will provide financial support for equipment and technology to improve environmental performance and business efficiency. It is proposed that the scheme will be open to all primary production sectors, including apple growers. I have been engaged with the Minister of Finance about funding for the new scheme. More information will be announced in the coming months. Mr McNulty referred to arrangements in the South of Ireland, and perhaps that gets to the core of his contribution. I will peel back that issue and highlight the point that, while I am aware of the support schemes that are available in the South, if Members have noticed the Budget from the Irish Government today, they will know that the South struggles with surpluses, whereas we struggle with deficits. The financial position in Northern Ireland is challenging. I continue to engage with the Finance Minister so that we can deliver support, most particularly through the sustainable farming investment scheme. As Minister, I will continue to engage with the sector. I understand the importance of doing so and am keen to see apple-growing expand. Armagh is indeed known as the "Orchard County", and we should celebrate it.
750 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.74).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.74 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.98 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.01 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:23 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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