"Why is 24 per cent of the food eaten in the UK imported when it could be produced here?"

This was the question Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, put to delegates at the Oxford Farming Conference.

Mr Paterson said: "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."

He suggested that whilst exotic fruit cannot be grown in the UK, that UK consumers could be encouraged to buy British produce.

"This is a huge opportunity, and it's up to all of us - farmers, food manufacturers and government to take action. By buying seasonal fruit and veg we can improve the nation's health, help the environment and boost the economy."

DID YOU KNOW?
  • Farming contributes over £9 billion a year to the UK economy
  • The whole supply chain is worth nearly £100 billion
  • UK supply chain employs nearly 4 million people
  • Public sector bought £2.1 billion of food and drink last year

NFU chief horticulture adviser Hayley Campbell-Gibbons said: "We can only commend the Secretary of State for wanting to promote British agriculture and encourage more people to buy more British fruit and veg.

"We've long said we need to be more self-sufficient in this country and called for more to be done in the supply chain as part of our ground-breaking Catalyst for Change report. We support this aspiration and look forward to helping cut through the barriers to increasing production."

Mr Paterson went on to discuss the opportunities in technology and science, the global market and also the challenges that farmers face in Britain.

He said: "In order for UK farmers to take advantage of expanding markets and opportunities, I want our farmers and food producers to have access to the widest possible range of technologies - from new applications of robotics and sensor technology to new LED lighting in greenhouses and cancer-fighting broccoli.

"New technologies and markets present farming with unprecedented opportunities to grow. It is crucial that government and industry work together to capitalise on these opportunities."

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