EXPORTS of Scottish food and drink products reached a record export value of £8 billion in 2022, according to the latest figures released by HMRC.
The export value of Scottish food and drink products rose by £1.9 billion compared to 2021, an increase of 30.6%, to take the value beyond pre-Covid levels.
Driven by strong growth particularly in whisky, but also in other categories such as cereals, the figures demonstrate the appetite for Scottish products globally.
This is despite another challenging year for the industry with cost pressures, skills shortages, and inflation.
Scottish food exports are 8.1% above the 2019 pre-Covid peak, demonstrating a faster recovery than producers in the rest of the UK, which remains at -1% on 2019.
Scotch whisky exports grew by 37.2% compared to the previous year, representing £1.7 billion growth.
That increased value comes largely from Asia and Oceania – Singapore, India and Taiwan in particular – but the United States remains its biggest national market.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “This is a testament to the quality, innovation and skill shown by everyone working in the industry across Scotland.
“The statistics show food exports have risen to an all-time high of £1.9 billion – up 12.8% on 2021 – which is a fantastic achievement for our food sector.
“The food and drink industry is vital to Scotland. It creates jobs, wealth and helps attract people to the country by promoting our produce around the globe.”
Iain Baxter, CEO of Scotland Food & Drink, member of the Scottish Government’s Ministerial Trade Board and the UK Government’s Food and Drink Export Council, said:
“The latest export figures are a welcome cause for optimism amid ongoing difficult trading conditions for our industry.
“Scotch whisky and Scottish seafood are world-famous sectors with global reputations for their quality.
“Today’s data showcases the Scottish basket and the success we are seeing in overseas markets with sectors such as cereals and meat securing significant export growth.
“Few countries have the breadth of produce that Scotland offers, and we must continue to capitalise on the strength of our biggest sectors to help the smaller ones grow.”
