Farmers are urging the British public to keep their Christmas shopping local to show support for rural and farming businesses.
The festive season is a time when British produce such as roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and traditional turkey are treasured.
And while Christmas dinner is the cornerstone of Christmas Day, British agriculture has a far wider part to play this time of year with the provision of British trees, plants and beers, to name but a few.
Today, British farmers' produce totals about 62% of the domestic food supply, and unions and farmers stress that by backing British farming, the country can become a more food secure nation.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) is one organisation urging shoppers to help local, rural businesses this Christmas.
FUW President, Glyn Roberts said: “Speak to your local butcher about meat for the Christmas period and see what your local farm shop has to offer - I promise you will find many of the ingredients you need for your Christmas dinner right on your doorstep.
“A pound spent locally will go much further than a pound spent in a chain store and it keeps our rural economies going. By supporting our local businesses we don’t help a CEO buy a third holiday home but we help a local mum and dad put food on the table, a family pay their mortgage, a little girl get those dance lessons and a little boy get his favourite team shirt.”
Last year, farmers took to social media on 1 December to showcase the best of British turkeys during the Christmas period.
Messages, photos and videos were posted on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #BuyMyTurkey to remind the public to start thinking about the centrepiece of the Christmas dinner table.
