BRITISH farmers could benefit by up to £400-million a year under new Government plans to increase the number of public sector institutions that buy British food. The Prime Minister has announced that from 2017, all of central government will commit to buying fresh, locally sourced seasonal food. The public sector in England spends £1.2-billion every year on food and drink. Up to £600-million of that is spent on imported produce, £400-million of which could be sourced from within the UK. The commitment from central government to use this new buying standard means that just over half of the £400-million will be up for grabs by British farmers. In addition, the wider public sector will be encouraged and supported in using the new framework with the expectation that all schools and hospitals will, in future, serve more locally reared meats and freshly picked fruit and vegetables. The move has been welcomed by Central Devon MP Mel Stride. He said: 'The announcement is one of common sense. Patients in hospitals and children in schools will consume more British-grown food and the move will provide a much needed boost for our hard-pressed farmers. 'The cost to the tax-payer of buying marginally more expensive produce will certainly be outweighed by the benefit to our agriculture sector.'