SCOTTISH MEAT has made a great contribution to the country’s record year of food and drink export growth. New figures released by the Scottish Government showed that total food and drink exports from Scotland grew by £421 million in 2016, representing an 8% increase in the value of exports to the sector.
In the meat category, Scotland increased exports by 11% to £72 million, of which 90% was to Europe. Quality Meat Scotland’s head of marketing said that a recent industry survey showed Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb’s key export markets in 2016 were France and the Benelux countries, which took 67.8% of beef and lamb exports from Scotland.
The Scottish red meat industry’s exports to Germany also increased by 23% during the year, and exports to the Nordic countries, Poland and Baltic countries, and other central and eastern European countries rose by 19%, 197% and 444%, respectively in 2016.
In comparison, exports outside the EU, mainly to South Africa, Hong Kong and Thailand, represented 5.4% of total Scottish red meat exports.
“The export figures published by the Scottish Government are encouraging and show there are still substantial opportunities for the Scottish red meat industry to develop and grow business inside and outside of the EU,” said head of marketing, Mr Vernet.