The Co-operative Group has launched a campaign to tell shoppers that it produces food on its own farms.

Claiming to be Britain's largest farmer, The Co-op is relaunching packaging to draw attention to its farming business, which supplies crops such as wheat, potatoes, strawberries, cider apples and peas for sale in-store.

"The fact that The Co-op has its own farming business, which supplies foods to our stores will become more visible to customers in future," said Debbie Robinson, director of food retail marketing.

The campaign kicked off this week when The Co-op relaunched a line of "home- grown" strawberries in its truly irresistible range. The Ava strawberries are badged up in stores with a new Co-operative farms label and the tagline: "Grown by us with care, Britain's largest farmer".

They feature in TV ads filmed on the Scottish farm, near Blairgowrie in Perthshire, where the fruit is grown.

The small print also claims The Co-op is reducing, banning and controlling pesticide use.

"We are proud to be unique by offering premium strawberries that we have grown to high standards on our Scottish farm," said Robinson, who added that the campaign would also include press ads, leaflets and PoS material.

It is the first time the retailer has featured its 70,000-acre farming operation in a commercial. The initiative was prompted by research showing most people had no idea The Co-op owned farms but liked the fact it did.

"Consumers are more concerned about freshness and provenance these days," said Helen Bridgett, head of sales and marketing. "To be able to say we grow our own crops is attractive to them."

The next products to feature the new labelling would appear in the autumn, said Bridgett. They would include pumpkins, onions, potatoes, frozen peas, honey and cereal bars.

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