The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Food exports enjoy growth after Covid
Scotland was among three areas of the UK which saw the strongest recovery last year in response to the challenges of the pandemic and Brexit, according to research.
The report by the Food and Drink Federation found that Scotland’s recovery has been driven by strong growth in exports of drinks and seafood products, which together accounted for £5.2 billion of total Scottish exports.
North-east England and
Wales were the other areas which had the strongest recoveries.
Scotland’s food and drink exports in 2021 were up 15% on the previous year, reaching £5.7bn, showing the country was “recovering significant lost ground, but still down on pre-Covid levels”, the report said.
Its biggest export category was beverages, which made up almost three-quarters of total exports, which is described as “unsurprising” given the global strength of Scotch whisky exports.
Out of the 12 areas of the UK in the report, Scotland accounted for the largest share of UK food and drink exports at almost 30% of total exports.
David Thomson, Food and Drink Federation Scotland’s chief executive, said: “Scotland continues to punch above its weight, accounting for the largest share of UK food and drink exports, with an impressive 30% of total exports.
“It’s heartening to see an
increase in Scotland’s food and drink exports as the industry begins to recover from the impact of Covid19 and Brexit.”
France is now Scotland’s largest export partner, worth more than £1bn, while exports to China nearly doubled in 2021 to just under £225 million.
The Food and Drink Federation said that the
share of exports to non-EU markets is increasing in Scotland, and there are big opportunities to drive further export growth.
However Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not factored into the report, and researchers said they are yet to understand its full impact on the sector’s exports and on the global supply chains on which the
sector relies for some ingredients, such as vegetable oils, cereals and white fish.
Scotland’s Rural Affairs Secretary, Mairi Gougeon, said: “I am always delighted to see Scottish food and drink products do well on the international stage and I would like to congratulate everyone involved in this significant achievement.”