Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon has praised Scotland’s food and drink sector in a St Andrews Day letter to producers and businesses.
In the letter, Gougeon said Scotland’s £15bn food and drink sector, which supports thousands of jobs and businesses, was a “success story” at home and internationally.
She added: “That is something worth celebrating this St Andrew’s Day and I know that many people in Scotland and all around the world will be marking their own celebrations of our national day with some of our great food and drink produce.
Gougeon acknowledged that industry faced a challenging year and highlighted the continued appeal of Scottish products in foreign markets: “There is no doubt that the sector has borne the brunt of an array of significant challenges in recent years. Brexit has created serious, long-term harms, including labour shortages, new trade barriers for exporters, whilst also driving up inflation in food and supply chain costs. The sector has repeatedly had to respond and adapt as a result.”
She wrote that the appetite for Scottish products abroad “remains strong” and thanked the industry, including “farmers, fishers, crofters, food manufacturers and producers who are at the heart of our communities, including our rural, coastal and island communities.
“You all play a vital role in keeping the sector operating and supplying our food each and every day.”
