RARELY seen figures showing just how many chemicals are used on English farms have now been released and will shock conservationists campaigning to promote more "green" farming.

They show that no fewer than 350 pesticides have been approved for agricultural use and a massive 4.5 billion litres of chemicals are sprayed onto the land each year.

These figures have been seized upon by organic farmers as they demand bigger grants to encourage the growth of their industry, which at present produces only 4% of the nation's food.

The Soil Association, the national body of the organic food movement, claims that an English apple grown in modern orchards can have between 20 and 30 chemicals on its skin. Consumers are advised either to wash such apples very carefully or, better still, peel them.