Local farmers in Northern Ireland have set up a new platform to persuade more consumers to give priority to locally grown produce, stated recent reports.
To persuade more consumers to give priority to locally grown produce for their own health and to benefit the industry here and the planet, growers in Northern Ireland have formed Veg NI, a voluntary collective committed to customer-focused promotions and public education about the health benefits of local vegetables.
“As veg are low in fat and sugar and high in fibre and nutrients, consuming more veg every day is a key way of eating more healthily and will play a part in tackling the UK’s obesity crisis,” reports quoted Adrian McGowan, the organisation’s chairman, as saying.
“We all know vegetables are essential for a balanced and healthy diet, and with less time in transit, local veg is packed with even more vitamins and fewer preservatives, making them a healthier choice.”
Veg NI is also a response to Northern Ireland’s position as a UK region with the lowest consumption of fresh vegetables that are now seen as essential for a healthy diet.
Consumption of locally grown ‘greens’ in the Irish Republic is much higher due to the promotional campaigns of Bord Bia, the Republic’s food and drink marketing body.
Furthermore, the organisation addresses the challenge from the position that 80 per cent of adults and 95 per cent of teenagers do not eat enough vegetables.
Growers in Veg NI include Roy Lyttle Ltd, Newtownards; Fresh Fields, Comber; and Donnelly Horticulture, Armagh. The group, in fact, involves 10 growers- around 80 percent of growers of vegetables in Northern Ireland.
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