Jimmy's Farm owner Jimmy Doherty defends 'wonky veg'

Jimmy Doherty, the owner of Jimmy's Farm near Ipswich, has appeared on BBC News urging supermarkets to stock 'wonky veg'.

He said being picky about the look of vegetables is 'a luxury we cannot afford' as droughts in part of the UK stresses crops, changing their looks.

A drought was declared in the East of England last week, which includes Suffolk.

This has led to farms in the UK having early harvests.

The TV presenter and farmer, said: "What we're getting is an edited edition of our fruit and veg.

"When supermarkets buy from farmers, they have a certain remit - a certain size, a certain shape.

"Unfortunately, a lot of food gets wasted because of that."

He described the situation as 'a bit of a crime' and that it ultimately doesn't matter what shape the vegetables are.

Jimmy was speaking on behalf of other farmers, who say there will be more varied fruit and veg shapes on shelves over the winter.

The National Farmer's Union has defended these sentiments, urging shoppers to 'continue buying their favourite fruit and veg'.

Martin Emmett, NFU horticulture and potatoes board chair, said: “It has been a difficult growing season, and UK growers have worked incredibly hard to ensure the public continue to get the high quality British produce they are used to.

"Inevitably, there will be some impacts from the ongoing dry weather and some fresh produce may have a different size, skin finish or colour to usual, but we would encourage shoppers to continue buying their favourite veg and potatoes, as they will still be fresh, healthy and tasty.

“Many supermarkets already have wonky veg ranges but we would urge them to continue engaging with their farmer suppliers and continue to show flexibility during this challenging time.”