The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed a commitment by prime minister David Cameron and environment secretary Liz Truss to boost public food procurement by central government.
The plan for public procurement, worth £400 million for British farming, would see central government committing to buying fresh, locally sourced, seasonal food, from 2017.
Speaking after a reception with prime minister David Cameron, FUW president Emyr Jones said: “Whilst we understand that this is a central government plan, it will clearly bring benefits for farmers across the UK, and we hope will encourage all public bodies to follow suit, including those not run by central government and in Wales.
“The FUW has been lobbying for precisely this type of commitment ever since I have been involved with the union and we congratulate Mr Cameron for this initiative. “
“It is in all our interests to ensure that all public bodies use locally sourced and seasonal food to ensure a prosperous and thriving economy.
“It is extremely frustrating when some government departments work hard to support rural communities and promote our produce, while others are actively buying from our competitors,” added Mr Jones.