International sales of Scottish food and drink have surged to a record-breaking £1.4 billion in Q1 2019.
A healthy increase of 14% since last year, latest figures highlight strong demand in particular for Scottish salmon and, of course, whisky, which accounted for three-quarters of all export sales last year.
On the latest figures, Food Minister David Rutley commented that: “British food and drink is highly sought after around the world, with Scottish whisky, salmon and gin playing a vital role in this exporting success.
“More people worldwide are placing a greater importance on the quality and provenance of food and drink, and Scottish farmers and food producers are in an excellent position to benefit from this.”
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And International Trade Secretary Liam Fox noted that: “It’s no secret that Scotland is renowned for its high-quality food and drink, and there is even greater demand out there.
“Recent HMRC statistics showed that goods exports from Scotland grew faster than any other part of the UK in the last financial year, now worth £32.8 billion.”