Renewed efforts are being made to revive Scotland's almost extinct apple growing industry. As the UK currently imports 70 per cent of the apples used for human consumption from countries such as Spain and South Africa, there is an estimated cost around this of some £230 million annually. Meanwhile, local varieties such as the Lass O’Gowrie, Galloway Pippin, Scotch Bridget and the Bloody Ploughman have long been replaced by imports on supermarket shelves.
According to the Produce Marketing Association, Britain imports more than 476,000 tonnes of apples, but only exports 14,800 tonnes of its own. Over the past two decades, the UK has become increasingly reliant on fruit imports, with a self-sufficiency rate of just 11%.
Yet apple growing has deep roots in Scottish history, with orchards grown on a big scale in abbeys and monasteries in the 12th century, through large-scale growing on estates in the 17th century, right up until the 19th century when the Scottish landscape still housed thousands of trees.
Now, a Soil Association Scotland-led Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) group is trying to bring commercial apple growing back to Scotland.
“The intention for the group is to grow Scottish apples for Scottish consumption, like we saw back in the 1930s and 40s before the demise of the sector,” said the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society's Amanda Brown, who is facilitating the group. “We want to get Scottish apples to Scottish people. As well as being good for the industry, wouldn’t it be great to get kids eating nutrient-rich apples grown locally?”
One member of the new apple group is grower Catherine Drummond-Herdman of Megginch Castle Orchard in the Carse of Gowrie told heraldscotland.com: “I want the group to be there to encourage others to grow apples on a commercial scale again in Scotland. Local, nutrient-dense food, grown sustainably in a self-sufficient manner – which will also be a means by which farmers can diversify and create more income streams.”
