PM Sunak warns UK must boost food production

London: The UK needs to reduce its reliance on imports of fruit and vegetables, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told farmers on Tuesday, as he sought to ma...

London: The UK needs to reduce its reliance on imports of fruit and vegetables, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told farmers on Tuesday, as he sought to make food security a top priority against climate and geopolitical threats.

Sunak hosted some 70 farmers and other growers at his Downing Street office and residence in central London, telling them they were "vital to the security and the fabric of our country".

The "farm to fork" summit coincided with the publication of the government's first food security index, to "monitor the impacts of external factors, such as Russia's barbaric invasion of Ukraine or extreme adverse weather events" on supplies.

But it also comes as Sunak seeks the traditional support of rural voters for a general election expected later this year, with indications that they may back the main Labour opposition instead of his ruling Conservatives.

The past 18 months have been the wettest on record in England, and second wettest six months across the UK, hitting crop yields and putting pressure on farmers.