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Scottish food & drink Industry to target emerging markets for export success

Siri Dybdal
Published Modified

The figures also show that the top three destinations for Scottish food and drink exports changed during the last year, with the US overtaking France as Scotland’s top export market during 2012. The official 2012 overseas food and drink export figures show that exports to the US grew by 12.5% to £817m during 2012, surpassing exports to France which valued £675m.

The export data also shows Singapore rising up the rankings to occupy the number three spot with exports of £340.5m – the first time an Asian country has occupied a top three spot. This rise is largely due to burgeoning whisky exports to the country, which at £339m, account for the vast majority of total food and drink exports to Singapore.

The total value of Scottish food and drink exports during 2012 was £5.31bn, which represents a 1.4% drop on the 2011 figures, but an increase of 18% on 2010 exports. Food only exports during 2012 were £1.04bn.

The slight decrease in exports last year is due in part to a drop off in demand from some European countries, as the Eurozone crisis affected consumer spending, particularly across the Southern European countries of Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy.

However, exports to other parts of Europe increased over the same period, with growth in Germany (up 16%) and parts of Eastern Europe; notably Estonia (up 28%), Latvia (up 49%) and Ukraine (up a massive 273%, albeit from a relatively low base).

Elsewhere, one of the most positive developments was a growth in exports to emerging markets across Sub-Saharan Africa (up 9.9% to £246m), Latin America & the Caribbean (up 3.5% to £511m) and Asia & Oceania (up 2.2% to £1,090m).

These results reflect the need for the industry to broaden food exports into new markets, following the success of the whisky model, and Scottish Development International is already working with industry leadership group Scotland Food and Drink and the Scottish Government to develop a new export strategy to target new and emerging markets.

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