POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS FOOD AND DRINK SECTOR
I firmly believe 2022 will be a year of action and determinatiifoirnminlytbaeclkielivneg2s0o2m2ewoilfl boeuramyeoasrt opfreavcatlieontafnododdeatnedrmdirninakctihoanllienntgaecsk.ling some of our most prevalent food and drink challenges. The past two years have highlighted the vulnerability of suppthlyecphasint stwaos yweealrlsahsaivsesuheigshinligahteradctthinegvuanlnderaebtailintyinogf fsouopdapnlydcdhraininkswaosrkweersll.as issues in a racting and retaining food and drink workers. Nonetheless, there is strong evidence to support my belief in Na opnoesitthiveeleosust,ltohoekr.e is strong evidence to support my belief in a positive outlook. Most businesses who took part in our Business Panel survey imn ooscttboubseirn2e0ss2e1,sfowrheoxatomopklep,asrat idn tohuerybwuesrineeospstipmainsetilcsaubrvoeuyt tinheoircptorobsepr e2c0t2s1,, efovreenxianmthpelef,ascaeidotfhreyawl ceorencoeprtnims iasrtoicuanbdoinu-t cthreairsperdoscpoesctst,sl,aebvoeunrisnhtohretafgaecseaonfdresaulpcpolny cehranisnsa.round increased costs, labour shortages and supply chains. The survey also showed how the region’s food and drink busitnheessseusrvaerey atalskoinsghpoowseidtivheoawctthioenretogiroend’sufcoeotdhaenedndvririonnkmbuesnitnaelsimsepsaacrtes toafktihnegirpopsietirvaetiaocntsio. Tnhteoyreardeurcestphoenedninvgiroimnmprenstsaivleimlyptaoctmsaorfktehtedireompaenradtifoonrsn. Tathueryala,rleocreasl paonnddsinugstiaminparebslepsirvoedlyuctots.minadrkoeint gdseomtahnedy aforer cnoaltlaubraol,raloticnaglwainthdnsautsiotnaianl abnlde ipnrtoedrnuactiso.ninaldionivnegsstortshaenydarseeceoklilnagboruattionpgpwoirtthunaittiieosntaol aondisnettecrnaarbtionaelminisvesisotnosrsaannddaseraecktinggreoeunt ionpvepsotrmtuennitti.es to oset carbon emissions and a ract green investment. Against this backdrop, we have welcomed the opportunity to saugpapinosrtttahnisdbinavceksdtroinpm, waenyhavmebwiteiolcuosmaend tdhyenoamppicorfotuonditayntod sduripnpkoprrtoajencdtsin. vest in many ambitious and dynamic food and drink projects. In Applecross in the northwest Highlands, for example, The Isncaoppislehcsroalsmsoin tchoemnpoartnhywisesletahdignhglanfodusr,-fyoeraerxaaqmuapcleu,lttuhre Srecsoeairsch Saanldmodnevceolomppmaennytisplreoajedcint,gian fwouhric-yhewareahqauvaecuclotumrermeiseeadrcuhpatnod£d3emve. Tlohpismwenilltcprreoajteecta,rionuwndhic3h0 wnewharuvrealcjombsmanidesdigunpifictoan£t3lyma.dtvhaisncweillscarlemaoten afarormunindg3i0n nsecwotrluarnadl,joimbsapnrodvisnignfisfihcawnetlfyaraedavnandcinecsreaalmsionng pfarormduincgtioi n.scotland, improving fish welfare and increasing production. The Uist Distilling Company in Benbecula, meanwhile, is detvehleopuinisgt Da insetiwllin£g12c.5ompdaisntyillienrybaendbevcisuitlao,rmc enatnrew,hwilhei,cish dweil-l avedldoptointgheatnoeuwris£m12o.5merdinisgtinlletrhyeaanrdeav.istihtoisrwceillnctrea, wteh2ic2hnwewill yaedadr-torotuhnedtojoubrsis,mwhoicheriisnsgiginntifhiceaanrtefao.rtahnisiswlailnl cdrewai the a22wnoerkwyinegara-rgoeunpdopjoublast,iwonhicohf ifsewsiegrnitfhicaant8f0o0r apneisolpalned. wthiteh aprwoojerck-t winigll algseo pcopnutrliabtuioten tof tfheewetrranthsaitnion80to0 apenoeptlzee. rtohecpornoojemcyt twhirlloaulgsho ictsounstreibouftgeretoentheenetrragnystieticohnntooloagynetot pzeorwoeer cthoenopmroydthurcotuiognh pitrsoucseesso.f green energy technology to power the production process. Further south, Bute Islands Foods is continuing its expansfiuornthienrtshoeurtahp, ibdluytegroiswlaingdsvefgoaondsmiasrkceotn,tiinuainmgoitvseetxhpaatnisesixopnecintetdhetoracpreidalyteg3ro6wninewg vjoebgsanovmearrtkherte,einyeaamrso. Rvedthuactinigs pexlapsetcictewdastotecisrea tke y36elenmewenjot bosf tohviserprtohrjecet.years. Reducing plastic waste is a key element of this project. To the north, the Orkney Cheese Company is investing in a rteofuthrbeisnhomrtehn, thperoojercktntehyact wheilleaslelocwothmepcaonmy ipsainyvetostcinugt ainnda rpeafcukrbagisehtmhenirtpprorodjeuct tohnathweililsalallnodw, trhaethceormthpaannsyetnodcinugt aitntdo pthaeckmaagienltahnedir. product on the island, rather than sending it to the mainland. As the sole producer of the award-winning Orkney Sco ish Aisslatnhdecshoeledpdraor,dtuhceecromf tphaenaywisaradn-wiminpnoinrtganotreknmepylosyceor ainsdh Iislapnivdotcahl etoddthare, tshuestcaoinmapbailnity iosfaonrikmnpeoy’rstadnatireymspelcotyoerr. atnhde pisropjievcotaisl etoxptheectesudsttoainacbreilaitsyeopfroodrkuncetiyo’sn,dcarieraytseencetowr.jotbhse, prerdoujeccet icsaerbxpoencetemdistsoioi ncsreaansdehperlopdtuhceticoonm, cpraenayterenaecwhjonbesw, rmeadrukceetsc.arbon emissions and help the company reach new markets. On a broader level, the region’s entrepreneurial spirit has Ostnrenagbthroeandeedrcloelvlaebl,otrhaetiornegbioentw’seentbreupsrineensesuraianldsapciraidt ehmasisat.rehnighthlaendedfocoodllaabnodradtrioinnkbpertowdeuecnerbsuaslionensgswainthd Dacaatadleamb-, irao. bheigrthglaonrddofonoudnainvedrsdirtiyn,khpieroadnudcearsd atlaonsgolwutiitohndpartoavlidaebr, Raroebearllt wgorrkdionng Utongiveethrseirtyo, NHIAE panilodtalodgaistaticssoluptriojnecptrocvaildleedr ‘ahreiplalnl ’.working together on a pilot logistics project called ‘Hiplan’. This involves using emerging technologies to support comtpheitsitiivnevnoelvsessaunsdinggroewmtherigninagttreacdhitnioonloagl iseesctorssuupcphoartscfomodpanedtitidvreinke.sist aisndtegsrtoinwgthaninaarttirfiacdiaitliointaelllsigeecntocresaupcphroaascfhootdo laongdisdticrisnkm. aitniasgteemsteingt tahnatawrtililfirceiadluicnetetlilmigentcoemaaprpkreot,alcohwteor ldoigstisritbicustimonancaogsetsm, menatxtihmaitsewillol areddeucieciteimnceietso amnadrkloewt,elor wtheer dseiscttroibru’sticoanrbconstfso,omtparxinimt. ise load eiciencies and lower the sector’s carbon footprint. The food and drink industry is ba ling serious labour shorttaghesf.oeosdtabnldishdirningkthinedsuesctrtyorisabsaa clinagreseerroiofucshloaibcoeufrorshl ocrat-l apgeeosp.leeshtasbloisnhginbgetehneasfeoctuosr oasf oaurcainrveesrtomfecnhto. ice for local people has long been a focus of our investment. The urgency of the current situation raises the topic of fair Twhoerku. regveidnecyncoef stheowcsurtrheanttfsaitruwaotiroknprlaiyssesanthime pt oprticanotfrfoaleir iwnosruk.pepvoirdteinngceposshiotiwves tbheahtafvaiioruwrosraknpdlaaysiatundiemspionrteamntprloyleienes,ulpepadosrttinogimpporsoitvieved bueshianveisosurpserafnodrmaanitcuedaensdintoeambpeloey-r eqeusa,lilteyaodfsjotobsimfoprroinvdeidvidbuasilnseastsapllelervfoerlms. ance and to a be er quality of jobs for individuals at all levels. We want the Highlands and Islands to have a world-leading Wwoerkwinagntliftehebahlaignhcleanwdhseraenfdaiirswlaonrdksdtroivehsavseucacwesosrladn-ldeapdroinsgwpeorriktyin. gthlifaet’bs awlahnyche Iwehiesredefavier lwooprinkgdrsiuvepsposurtcfcoersbsuasnindepsrsoessptoerhiteyl.ptthaetm’s uwnhdyehrsiteanisddwehvyelfoapirinwgorskuipsproerlet vfaonr tbtuostinhesirsoersgtoanhieslaptitohnemanudnedmeprslotaynedesw. hy fair work is relevant to their organisation and employees. These are just a handful of examples of the many food and Tdhrienskeparroejejcutsst aweh’arendinfuvloolvfeedxainmpaclersososf the mhaignhylafnodosd and disrliannkdps.roajnedctws ewleo’orek ifnovrowlavreddtoinaabcurossysyethaer, Hsuigphploarntdinsgatnhde Iinsldaunsdtsry. Ainnidtswreclovoekrfyo, rgwroawrdthtoanadbtuhseycyreart,iosnupopf jorbtisn.g the industry in its recovery, growth and the creation of jobs. So, with my glass more than half full, I wish you well in all that 2S0o2, 2wibthrinmgys.glass more than half full, I wish you well in all that 2022 brings.