Farmers needs to produce more crops out of the same land if they are to meet the growing demand for food, according to the head of one of the county’s most prominent food groups.

Ed Martin, the manager of Produced in Kent, said the nation faces a food supply shortage if the farming world is not able to meet the task – and he in turn called on supermarkets to do more to support growers.

He spoke after the launch of a rural strategy for the region by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), which sets out the plan to continue economic growth, develop new infrastructure and meet demand in the agricultural sector.

It suggests finding new ways to improve production by developing the county’s thriving agritech, agrifood and forestry-tech industries, developed in hubs like East Malling Research and Hadlow College.

Mr Martin said: “We need to get more production out of the same amount of land.

“How do we do it? It is not just intensification. It is reducing waste, improving technology, improving growing techniques and producing better quality crops that last longer.

“We also have to get food to market better so we don’t lose so much in transit. About 30% of food grown globally is lost between farm and marketplace.”

The rural strategy document outlines the importance of the rural sector in Kent.

According to SELEP, more than a third (36%) of businesses in Kent are based in the rural area and over 50% of these are non-rural in nature.

Small and micro businesses are a particular feature of the rural economy and the number of people who are self-employed is growing.

Nearly 300 companies are members of Produced in Kent, with a combined turnover of more than £400 million.

Yet the government is at risk of throwing away a huge opportunity if it does not invest in rural areas, including in the next generation of workers, according to Mr Martin.

He also said the prices paid by supermarkets for food will have to change if Kent is to meet the nation’s food demands.

He said: “We import an unsustainable amount of food into this country and our food security is weak.

“Where the general public have been led to expect food prices at the level they are and have been for some years, that’s not a true reflection of the realities of the market.

“Climate change and political instability are taking land out of production globally, but with a growing population. In our country the population is set to reach 80 million but our available land is set to stay the same. Simple maths says that doesn’t add up.

“If you have an increase of demand and a shortage of supply then prices go up.

“We need to teach people what is a realistic and fair price to pay for food.

“This county lacks the infrastructure and capacity to realise this astonishing potential within the food and drink sector.

“There is not enough office space or factory space easily accessible to micro business.

“Education needs to raise its game, as Hadlow College is proving. It is not just about sitting at home making cupcakes. There is a jobs market for real professionals.

“This is the best opportunity the Kent agricultural sector has had in many generations.”