LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a major package of measures to support farmers and grow the UK's farming and food sector.
The package, unveiled at the Farm to Fork Summit hosted at Downing Street, will support domestic food production, boost innovation in the sector supporting it to reach its economic potential, and recruit the next generation of farming and food leaders.
This includes a new Blueprint for Growing the UK Fruit and Vegetable Sector, setting out how industry and government can work together to increase domestic production and drive investment into a sector which is worth more than £4 billion to the UK economy.
The plan involves ensuring the sector has access to affordable and sustainable energy and water; Cutting planning red tape to make it easier and quicker to build glasshouses; and New investment to boost innovation in the sector, where Defra will look to double to £80 million the amount of funding given to horticulture businesses when compared to the EU legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.
The first draft Food Security Index was published at the Summit, setting out key data and trends to allow government and industry to safeguard the UK's food security.
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