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Environment Secretary: 'Eat UK Fruit And Veg'

Kent apples and Scottish raspberries can help boost the health of the nation - and its economy, according to Environment Secretary Owen Paterson.

Mr Paterson is to encourage consumers to ditch pineapples and mangoes in favour of homegrown fruit and vegetables.

In a speech at the Oxford Farming Conference he will say the UK is importing £8bn of fruit and veg when it could be produced at home.

He will say: "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.

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

"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."

There have been a number of Government campaigns designed to encourage the public to eat more fruit and vegetables.

The British Heart Foundation warned last year that children faced a generation of health problems because they were not eating enough fruit and vegetables, or doing enough exercise.

Recently Tesco warned MPs that British consumers were to blame for the amount of fruit and veg waste from supermarkets because they refused to buy "ugly and misshapen" fruit.

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