A FIRM that aims to encourage people to buy Kentish produce has held its launch event.

Produced in Kent, formerly owned by Kent County Council, is now a stand-alone company which sources and promotes specifically Kentish goods.

At the launch, held at Hadlow College, about 100 farmers, growers and business people heard how Produced in Kent will encourage Kent people to buy Kent produce.

Chief executive Adam Ellis-Jones covered issues such as ensuring the availability of fresh local produce for schools, healthy eating and the environmental benefits a company such as Produced in Kent could bring.

"Through extensive marketing and PR campaigns people will begin to understand the environmental benefits between an apple that has travelled 12 miles to market and one from New Zealand that has been sitting in a controlled atmosphere, travelled 12,000 miles, and contributed to the carbon emission problem," Mr Ellis-Jones said.

"In an ideal world, you wouldn’t need Produced in Kent – people would be buying from farmers’ markets, and farm shops, but reality shows that people need help to change their buying habits."