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Get your free copy09 January 2014, 17:21 PM
- Owen Paterson, environment minister has made a call for farmers and producers to cut down on imported fruit and vegetables
The call has been made in order to improve public health and support the British economy. He notes Kentish apples and Scottish raspberries in particular as foods grown in the UK that, when in season, are superior to those imported from abroad.
Mr Paterson was scheduled to say, “This is a huge opportunity, and it’s up to all of us – farmers, food manufacturers and the government – to take action. By buying seasonal fruit and veg, we can improve the nation’s health, help the environment and boost the economy.
“As British farmers and food producers you know that we grow some of the best food in the world here – so why is 24% of the food eaten in the UK imported when it could be produced here? We have a top-class fruit and veg sector which produces everything from green beans to strawberries, yet we imported £8 billion of fruit and veg in 2012.”
The National Farmer’s Union (NFU) stated last year that if the downturn in production continued and future summers were as wet as the summer of 2012, Britain would become increasingly dependent on imports.
