BRITISH farmers are fighting back against cheap imported food - and striking a blow for consumer choice at the same time.

From this week, a new red and blue tractor symbol will be appearing on products in a supermarket near you.

The British Farm Standard is a guarantee of quality. It means not only has food been produced to a high level of safety, but also that animal welfare and environmental protection have been top priorities.

From this week, major supermarket chains such as Asda, Morrison's, Tesco, Sainsbury, Safeway, Marks & Spencer, Aldi, Somerfield, Waitrose and the Co-op, will all be displaying the standard on up to 100 fresh food products ranging from fruit and veg to meat and poultry.

And while in principal a food of any national origin can display the standard, British farmers say in fact only British products will meet the strict requirements needed to qualify for it.

British farmers have for years been warning they were losing out to cheap foreign imports because their own high standards meant British food was more expensive to produce.

The United Kingdom imports more than £2.6 billion worth of produce that could be grown or raised here, the National Farmers' Union claims. A Meat and Livestock Commission study earlier this year showed Britain's pig farmers were losing £4 million a week and predicted job losses in the industry could reach almost 50,000.

The new standard - administered and licensed independently of farmers by a new company, Assured Food Standards, which represents major British farm assured schemes - is a public recognition of the high quality of British foods, and gives consumers the chance to make a positive choice.

NFU president Ben Gill, who farms near Easingwold, said that with the new standard British farmers were fighting back.

"The British Farm Standard logo will have a presence in shops to rival any of the major brands which dominate British retailing," he said. "It will be a promise to shoppers that when they see it, they are buying food they can trust.

"Put simply, we are raising the stakes for foreign producers - if they want to sell food to British consumers they must meet UK standards."

Rob Simpson, the NFU's spokesman for Yorkshire said: "This is the most exciting development in the UK food chain in recent years. From this week, when people go into shops they will see food that is marked with a clear logo that shows the high production standards that lie behind the food they buy. Farmers will be working with their customers to ensure that more and more food items carry the logo."

Prime Minister Tony Blair has himself backed the scheme.

Launching the logo outside No 10 this week, he said: "Britain produces some of the best food in the world. Thanks to some of the very tough and rigorous measures put into place following the BSE crisis, our food is now among the safest.

"It's also produced in a way that protects the environment and safeguards animal welfare.

"It's a tribute to our farmers and the food industry who have put safety and quality first.

"The tractor mark means that the British consumer has the opportunity to buy food they can trust."

PICTURE: QUALITY: The new British Farm Standard launched in London this week is already in stores like Sainsbury, above