Scots fish for new business in China
The China Expo is the largest seafood trade fair in Asia, and the second largest in the world. With over 1,200 exhibitors and around 22,000 visitors attending from across the globe, it represented a significant opportunity for Scottish seafood suppliers to meet and do business with some of the world’s most influential buyers.
The Scottish delegation comprised a range of home-grown seafood companies and four Scottish chefs, who cooked up a Scots feast designed for Chinese audiences, using a specially created show-kitchen. The chefs provided a culinary show with on-site cooking demonstrations and tastings of a mix of premium seafood from Scotland, including scallops, brown crab, mackerel, herring, salmon, haddock and langoustine.
“China is a top ten export destination for Scottish food, so the opportunity for some of our homegrown producers to target this region is huge,” said Susan Beattie, head of food & drink at Scottish Development International.
Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation, said: “The Far East has presented significant opportunities for Scottish salmon in recent years and we continue to perform well in this extremely buoyant market. Exports of Scottish salmon doubled in value between 2012 and 2013, most significantly, China grew from virtually nothing in 2010 to almost £50 million in 2013.
“The growing middle classes who increasingly look for premium and healthy food are driving demand, proving that our provenance, traceability and exceptional quality are a winning formula. China has become our third largest export market over this short period and demonstrates how producing a quality premium food can reap significant rewards.”
Graham Young, head of Seafood Scotland, part of the Scottish Seafood Collaborative Group, said: “Scotland has seen its seafood exports grow steadily over the past seven years, rising from £448m in 2007 to £552m in 2013. This is an exciting trend, which is a result of the industry’s hard work to build a reputation as a producer of high quality, traceable and world class seafood.
“China alone an increasingly important destination for our products, with exports worth £22.5m in 2013, up almost 24% from £18.2m in 2012 and up 548% from £4.1m in 2007.
“The work we do to raise awareness of Scottish seafood in Asian markets is vitally important to the industry in Scotland, and as long as we continue to build contacts and familiarity with the quality products Scotland has on offer, exports will continue to rise.”
