HOSPITALS and schools will be told to buy more British fruit and veg in an olive branch to angry farmers.
New rules mean half of all grub served up in the public sector must come from UK farms or hit the same high welfare standards.
Steve Reed is announcing a big rule change which means schools, hospitals and prisons will serve up m,ore British fruit and veg[/caption]
It means British farmers will find it easier to get a slice of government contracts worth a tasty £5 billion.
It will be seen as an olive branch to farmers – who have staged tractor blockades across the country in protest at the inheritance tax hike.
Steve Reed – Cabinet minister for the environment and food – said: “The Government is committed to using its own purchasing power to back British produce.
“That means buying more British food where we can.
“This will help farmers compete for a fairer share of the £5 billion a year spent on public-sector catering contracts.”
The announcement comes after years of fury at the low quality slop served up on hospital wards.
Mr Reed will unveil the big boost at next week’s National Farming Union conference
Ministers plan to tear up red tape to make it easier for smaller British farmers to apply for the lucrative public sector contracts.
