THE National Farmers' Union's food and farming roadshow is coming to the region in a bid to encourage more people to eat British-produced fare.

Local farmers and growers will join the roadshow at its various stops in the region.

But farming communities still suffering from the effects of foot-and-mouth are being avoided - and a planned visit to Whitby has already been cancelled because of the proximity of the disease.

The roadshow is a national crusade that plans to take in 100 destinations, and this is the third year it has visited Yorkshire and the North-East.

NFU president Ben Gill, who farms near Easingwold, North Yorkshire, said: "Despite having to drastically revise the schedule for the roadshow, farmers felt it was more important than ever to get out there and meet the public.

"We need to let consumers know that farmers are fighting back and we want to say thank-you for the support they have received."

The roadshow will be visiting Newcastle's Haymarket tomorrow, Whitley Bay town centre on Thursday, and Parliament Street, in York, on Friday.

On Saturday, it will be in Darlington's Market Square, on Sunday at Gateshead MetroCentre, on Monday at Sainsbury's, in Durham's Arnison Centre, and on Wednesday in the North Bay Corner Complex, Scarborough.