UK farmers should focus on fruit and veg over beef and lamb to keep nation healthy, report finds

It could also support up to 23,520 additional jobs and boost farm incomes by 3 per cent across the country, without threatening self-sufficiency in other foods, the report said.

The researchers estimated 113,622 hectares of land would be needed to expand horticultural production by 86 per cent, the amount required for Britons to meet health advice to eat five portions a day.

The Green Alliance said the £5bn horticultural sector accounts for 9 per cent of the total contribution agriculture makes to the economy, but uses less than 1 per cent of the UK’s farmland.

The beef and lamb industries combined are worth 1.9 times more to the economy, but use 76 times more land, the think tank said.

The report said prioritising the horticultural industry makes sense, given the pressure on land to meet food security, climate, energy and nature demands.

It also called for fruit and veg to take centre stage ahead of crops used to make bioenergy, which researchers said was “extremely inefficient”.

Lydia Collas, head of natural environment at Green Alliance, said: “We need to eat more fruit and vegetables to improve our health.

“But if we don’t grow more of them here, we’ll let profitable horticulture and the jobs it could support go elsewhere.

“We currently import more than half of our apples when we have everything we need to eat British apples year-round.

“If the Government is serious about improving people’s health and ensuring farmers have sustainable livelihoods, it needs a horticulture strategy.”

However, National Sheep Association northern regional manager Chris Adamson said lamb farming and horticulture can go hand-in-hand, and do not need to compete against each other.

“It’s easy, on a blank sheet of paper, to say we could grow more fruit and vegetables instead of producing red meat,” he explained.

“But when you look at the landscape of the North of the UK as a whole, much of it simply isn’t suitable for growing fruit and veg — whereas sheep can thrive on the side of a hill.

“We at the NSA have also seen more and more arable farmers introducing sheep into their systems as a natural way of fertilising and managing land over winter.”

In particular, Mr Adamson cited the upland farmers of the Yorkshire Dales, who maintain the appearance of the national park.

The Country Land and Business Association’s Jonathan Roberts commented: “It is absolutely right that we should eat more fruit and vegetables as part of a balanced diet - especially when put alongside nutritious, high quality British meat and dairy.

"But suggesting that all farmers should prioritise fruit and vegetables over rearing beef and lamb illustrates a dangerous lack of understanding of both arable and livestock farming systems."

NFU horticulture and potatoes board chair Martin Emmett added: “We’ve long called for investment in UK horticulture, a sector ripe for growth.

“With the new government focused on economic growth, there’s a real opportunity to align policy with this ambition.

“Since the election, momentum has stalled. To support the nation’s health and food security, it’s vital the government introduces a new scheme that enables the entire sector to invest and grow, in addition to providing clarity on the seasonal worker scheme visa figures.”

Steve Reed, the Environment Secretary, pointed to the £5bn investment into the farming budget, which he said is a record amount.

“Backing British farmers is the backbone of all work to support rural economic growth and boost Britain’s food security,” he said.

“We have taken strong action to protect the future of the sector with the New Deal for Farmers.

“But we must go further and faster as part of our Plan for Change to put money into the pockets of farmers and drive growth.”

A Government spokesperson added: “Our cross-Government food strategy will make sure our food system can continue to feed the nation, realise its potential for economic growth, protect the planet and nourish individuals, now and into the future.”