Robots could be used to pick fruit under new plans to prevent supermarket shelves going empty and food rotting in fields.

White Paper, the UK's food strategy, has been rewritten to include plans against labour shortages which could see more automation on British farms to combat a post-Brexit dependence on foreign imports.

After watching the impact of war in Ukraine leaving food shortages in supermarkets, Ministers have ordered a review into new measures such as machinery replacing human fruit pickers to stop the same lack of food causing further price increases.

Plans will also target the impact of soaring gas prices which have caused an inflation for the cost of fertiliser, making it far more expensive for UK farmers to grow fruit and vegetables.

The strategy will also look at the impact of climate change on farmers.

Gas price rises have caused an inflation in the cost of fertiliser which makes it far more expensive for UK farmers to grow fruit and vegetables.

Due to be announced in the next few months, the government strategy is also expected to promote 'alternative proteins' like lab-grown meat, beans and pulses, following a review by restaurateur Henry Dimbleby who said the eating habits of the UK are 'destroying the environment'.

Scientists at the University of Plymouth have been developing technology to improve robotic fruit and vegetable pickers after previous models have been found to be too clumsy and easily ruin softer fruits like raspberries and strawberries.

The Automated Brassica Harvesting in Cornwall project is a three-year, £10million initiative which sees researchers working with producers to create robots to work alongside existing workforces to ensure any gaps in productivity are filled.

The latest plans show a cauliflower-picking robot, by Fieldwork Robotics on the University of Plymouth project, with the picker as a robotic 'hand'.

Led by Dr Martin Stoelen, lecturer in robotics at the university, the project has also developed technologies to assist with the picking of cauliflower, broccoli, kale and cabbage.

The GummiArm has two arms and moves like a human rather than a machine, which targets the issue of robots being rigid. The piece of tech has the ability to flex and bend.

Robots will be able to identify when cauliflowers are ready for harvest, which is done through sensors in its 'hands'.

Ministers are thought to be considering further investment in the technology, according to the Telegraph.

Farmers may also be provided grants to buy new machinery to take on a share of the workload.

Vertical farming, a form of 'agri-tech', is also said to be in consideration, which is when crops are grown in vertically stacked layers in a temperature-controlled warehouse instead of an open field.

The method is not commonplace in the UK, but is used in Japan, and uses soilless farming techniques to 'optimise plant growth'.

There could also be more investment into 'agri-tech' which applies technology to produce more with less to help the farming process become more efficient.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion raised concerns about the security of Britain's food supply.

British manufacturers have seen a shortage of sunflower oil since the invasion of Ukraine in late February, even though the UK is mostly self-sufficient in wheat, a major Ukrainian export.

This has caused a nationwide 'switch' to rapeseed oil.

Eustice told the Telegraph: 'The turbulence on the market has brought into focus, once again, the importance of a resilient global supply chain.

'Recent events, and the impact of the Covid pandemic, are a reminder that domestic food production matters.'

He added that Britain produces almost 90 per cent of its own wheat and beef and is almost completely self-sufficient in poultry, eggs, carrots and swedes, giving the nation a 'high degree of food security'.

Earlier this month, MPs warned that chronic labour shortages in the food and farming sector could see food prices continue to rise.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee report - devised by six Tory and four Labour MPs along with an SNP colleague - said as of August last year the sector had 'potentially in excess of 500,000 job vacancies'.

The report found evidence of pressure and shortages before the outbreak of war in Ukraine had caused the sector to experience 'even greater pressure' and said this was 'due principally to Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic'.

And it said the Government 'must learn the lessons' from how it introduced temporary short-term visa schemes in autumn 2021, because the 'late announcement limited the sector's ability to take advantage of the visas'.

The report called on Ministers to review aspects of the Skilled Worker Visa scheme that 'act as barriers, including the English language requirement and the complexity and costs involved in a visa application'.

And it said there must be an expansion of the Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme and increase in the number of visas available by 10,000 this year - as well as making the scheme permanent and announcing visa numbers in future.

On 6 April, the chair of the the committee said he was 'hopeful' the Home Office was listening to concerns.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Neil Parish said: 'I am hopeful that the Home Office is listening but they must listen and do something about it rather than just leave it and it'll sort itself out, because it won't.'

The release of the report comes after a torrid year for the industry that left nearly a quarter of the UK daffodil crop unpicked, fruit produce rotting in the fields and 35,000 pigs culled because of a lack of workers.

'The evidence we have taken leaves us in no doubt about the seriousness of the issues facing the food and farming sector caused by labour shortages,' wrote the study's authors.

'These include food security, animal welfare and the mental health of those working in the sector.