Almost 200,000 tonnes of food is lost or wasted in Ireland each year through farming and fishing production with up to 40pc of some vegetables being discarded before being sold to consumers.

A new study commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency has estimated for the first time the level of food waste at primary production level in addition to the 1.1 million tonnes lost each year through consumers, processors and food businesses.

Researchers at Munster Technological University and UCD calculated that 189,485 tonnes of food is lost or wasted annually with particular problems with horticultural products because of conditions imposed in contracts by retailers on price and quality and the lack of ecological and sustainable farming methods.

Potatoes account for almost 40pc of all food lost or wasted at primary production level in the Republic with almost 73,000 tonnes lost annually, mostly as a result of problems with harvesting the crop.