SNP ministers want food and drink industry to be on par with oil and gas as Scotland’s biggest export

SCOTTISH food and drink could rival oil and gas as the country’s biggest export, the Scottish Government has said as ministers set ambitious new targets for the industry.

• Scottish Government ministers have targeted industry growth of £2 billion by 2017 under new targets

• Oil and gas industry in Scotland currently worth £7.6 billion a year

The value of Scottish food and drink exports could soar from just over £5 billion to more than £7 billion by 2017, under the targets set by the Scottish Government and Scotland Food and Drink.

Scotland’s oil and gas exports currently worth £7.6 billion a year, according to official figures. However, the government says it wants to get the value of food and drink sent abroad to £7.1 billion to rival the energy sector.

The new targets were unveiled during Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight, with the government saying that new markets in China and the Middle East were helping to grow the industry.

Scotland Food and Drink Chief Executive James Withers said: “Food and drink is now Scotland’s fastest growing export sector.

“Three years ago we set ourselves a target to break the £5 billion barrier in annual exports of food and drink by 2017. We have achieved that six years early.

“Today we set ourselves a new ambition. By 2017, we now want to break the £7 billion mark.

It is fitting that we set that new target in the midst of Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight, a celebration of everything that is making our nation a Land of Food and Drink.

“The 50 per cent growth in whisky exports and 63 per cent increase in food exports since 2007 make us ambitious for even greater success.”