One in eight young people have never seen a cow in real life, according to a survey.

While they may have spotted a cow on television, 12 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds are so unfamiliar with the countryside they have never seen cattle in person. A fifth said they have never even left the city they live in (18 per cent).

The research also found a substantial lack of knowledge among young adults when it comes to basic fruit and vegetables.

More than half of those polled did not know strawberries are a summer fruit (54 per cent) and nine in ten do not know turnips are best grown in the winter.