Salmon Scotland welcomes food and drink export figures

9th May 2022

A report by the Food and Drink Federation has said Scotland's economic recovery has largely been driven by strong growth in exports of drinks and seafood products, which together accounted for £5.2billion of total Scottish exports.

Scotland's total food and drink exports in 2021 were up 15 per cent on the previous year.

HMRC figures show that Scottish salmon is the UK's biggest fresh food export, with overseas sales increasing to £614million in 2021 - up 36 per cent compared to 2020 and only marginally below the £618million recorded in 2019.

The sector directly employs 2,500 people in Scotland and supports more than 3,600 suppliers, with 10,000 jobs dependent on farm-raised salmon.

Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said, "There is soaring demand for our unrivalled farm-raised Scottish salmon, with exports recovering to near record-levels.

"As well as creating thousands of jobs and opportunities in rural Scotland, farm-raised Scottish salmon is a global success story with high environmental and welfare standards that puts one of the healthiest products we can eat on people’s plates.

"The incredibly encouraging export figures demonstrate the resilience of our industry and are testament to the hard work and dedication of farmers during the Covid pandemic."

Fresh salmon accounts for more than £500 million worth of fish sales across the UK retail market annually. This represents 48 per cent of the overall fish market, making it the most valuable single product in this category. The product is also exported to more than 50 countries.

The salmon sector adds more than £640 million to the economy every year. At the same time, it spends £370 million, supporting over 3,600 suppliers across Scotland. More than 2,500 people are directly employed in salmon farming throughout the country.

The Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) changed its name to Salmon Scotland on November 1, 2021.