A national campaign has been launched to highlight the importance of food and farming ahead of the general election.

The National Farming Union's (NFU's) 'Great British Food Gets My Vote' campaign urges politicians to put agricultural issues at the heart of their manifesto, and to ask the public to continue buying British food.

As part of the imitative, the NFU is taking out adverts in national newspapers and encouraging farmers to invite their local MP onto the farm.

Over 200 NFU members have signed up to display three-metre banners with the campaign slogan. One of the first to be installed was at Uphouse Farm in South Raynham, near Fakenham, a poultry business run by Nigel Joice, and his son, Patrick.

NFU president Meurig Raymond said: 'With less than three months before the general election, British agriculture and the future of domestic food production must be recognised as a hugely important issue for Britain as politicians battle it out.

'Before the campaign has launched, we already have hundreds of our membership interested in playing an active part. Farmers on the ground are behind what we're doing with this campaign, which shows the sheer importance of our lobbying.'