The task force will promote local fruit and vegetables especially when in season and will also help ensure more people get their 'five a day' of fruit and vegetables. Mr Benn added that he wants UK growers to produce as much as they can to meet consumer demand. Current production barriers include developing clear career paths in the industry, seasonal worker availability, volatile energy costs, effects of climate change, cost and availability of water.

"If we grow and eat more fruit and vegetables here - in our greenhouses, in our orchards, in our fields, our allotments and in our own back gardens - it will be good for our health, our farming community, and our landscape. We need make sure our farmers can compete successfully with imports, are resilient to the effects of climate change, and that we're getting fresh talent into the industry so that we can continue to grow world-class fruit and veg." State Secretary Hilary Benn.

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