owen paterson

Owen Paterson has called for shoppers to choose British over imported produce

Shoppers should buy more home-grown fruit and vegetables to boost the economy, the environment secretary has said.

Owen Paterson told the Oxford Farming Conference this afternoon (7 January) that farmers, food manufacturers and the UK government must take action to encourage consumers to buy British.

He told delegates that 24 per cent of food eaten in the UK is imported, despite 'top-class' production on home soil.

Paterson said:'As British farmers and food producers, you know that we grow some of the best food in the world here. So why is 24 per cent 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.

'We can't grow mangoes or pineapples, but we can encourage UK consumers and food businesses to buy Scottish raspberries or Kent apples.'

He added that there is currently a 'huge opportunity' for farmers, manufacturers and the government to promote UK produce, and that 'by buying seasonal fruit and veg, we can improve the nation's health, help the environment and boost the economy.'

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