Scotland’s overseas food and drink export industry has hit a record high of £6 billion for the year 2017, almost a £570 million increase on 2016.

Whisky and salmon continue to lead the way, with ever increasing demand on the global market. Scotch Whisky exports increased by around £356 million compared to 2016 and fish and seafood were worth approximately £944 million, a 23% increase from 2016.

But the latest figures continued to demonstrate the importance of the EU market to Scotland, with £1.1 billion of food exports going to the continent, prompting criticism from the Scottish Government following the announcement that previously devolved powers over food labelling were to be reserved to the UK Government, which could impact negatively on Scotland’s successful brand overseas.

Rural Economy Fergus Ewing said: “The statistics highlight the importance of the EU single market to our food and drink success, with the EU buying more than 40% of our produce. The continuing uncertainty surrounding the UK Government’s Brexit plans, and the prospect of losing tariff free access to that market would be potentially devastating for our food and drink industry.

“Confirmation by the UK Government that it wants devolved powers over food labelling to transfer to them creates further risk and uncertainty, when much of our success depends on our ability to market Scottish produce and provenance effectively,” said Mr Ewing.

Scotland Food and Drink chief executive James Withers reflected on the growing demand for the Scottish brand and its success in entering new markets: "The world is increasingly developing a taste for Scottish produce and it is driving incredible growth for Scottish food and drink businesses and the economy as a whole. A few years ago, reaching £6 billion in annual export sales was just an ambition. However, industry leadership and a crucial partnership with government has made it a reality.

"It is particularly important to see our food exports increasing in Asia and North America, following in the footsteps of our number one export, Scotch Whisky, which is firmly back into its growth phase. However, Europe remains the top destination for many of our products, emphasising the need for a Brexit process which protects this vital trade.

"Sales of Scottish food have now risen more 130% in a decade, but we have greater potential still. Our industry has an ambition to double the value of its sales overseas and in our home market to £30 billion by 2030. Today marks an important step along that road,” concluded Mr Withers.