More than £36 million of the festive fare to be eaten by families in the UK over Christmas will come from abroad, according to research by the National Farmers' Union.
As a result, UK farmers are urging shoppers to look for home-grown produce whenever possible when they are buying for Christmas.
Despite farmers and growers in the UK producing some of the highest quality seasonal produce, research shows some very disappointing results. Some 2,000 tonnes of sprouts, 5,000t of carrots and more than 22,600t of potatoes are imported in the run up to Christmas with a combined value of £14 million. An estimated 5.5m poinsettias sold in the UK are imported at a value of £3.5m. And approximately 7m living Christmas trees sold in the UK each year are brought in from abroad, worth £16m.
NFU president Ben Gill launched the NFU's 'Have a Great British Christmas' initiative at the Royal Smithfield Show. He said: 'British food and plants are the cream of the crop when it comes to the Christmas classics like turkey, sprouts and Christmas trees. Our 'Have a Great British Christmas' initiative will help families to make sure all the festive fare in their homes this Christmas is home-grown.' Have a Great British Christmas leaflets will be distributed at food promotion events around the country in the run up to Christmas. This leaflet outlines how shoppers can buy UK produce and where to find information on farmers' markets, farm shops and the Little Red Tractor logo.
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