SUPERMARKET giant Morrisons is continuing its home produce drive with a Meet the Farmer event.

Farmers will be at its store at Enterprise 5 in Idle today, from 2pm to 4pm, to talk to shoppers and hand out information about British produce.

It is being held to mark Farm24 (24 Hours In Farming) - a day where farmers can explain how they produce their food.

More than 70 per cent of the food which Morrisons sells in its stores this week will be British, according to the Bradford-based chain’s latest figures.

It is the highest share it reaches during the year, with British lamb, soft fruits and summer vegetables all reach the peak of their seasonality.

Paul Kelly, manager at the store in Idle, said it will be a good chance for shoppers to learn about the importance of eating homegrown food.

He said: “We believe that by meeting our real farmers, customers will understand that we are supporting real local businesses and understand more about their food.

“Our farmers will meet the Morrisons customers they are feeding and be able to explain the importance of eating homegrown food.”

A total of 83 per cent of the UK population live in urban areas, with 46 per cent of Britons saying they have never met a farmer, while 32 per cent have never visited a working farm and 52 per cent say they do not know how the food they buy is grown.

Adam Bedford, National Farmers Union regional director, praised Morrisons for holding today’s event.

He said: “It is good news to see Morrisons being clear about their sourcing policies and making a strong commitment to back British farming.

“We know from our own research that people want to see more British food on supermarket shelves.

“This event in Bradford offers a great opportunity for shoppers to meet and talk to their local food producers.

“It also gives farmers the chance to showcase all the work that goes into delivering a fantastic array of delicious, nutritious food.”

The event is the latest move by Morrisons to offer more support for farmers. after it became the first supermarket in 2015 to carry a dairy product where part of the purchase price goes directly back to farmers and offering shoppers the option of paying more in order to support farmers.

The grocer also introduced Milk for Farmers cheddar cheese with a proportion of the selling price going directly to farmers.