Still 8% of the population but now 30% of UK food and drink exports?

johnrobertson834

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(c) ciwm-journal.co.uk

Back in June 2017, I headlined a piece with:

With only 8% of the population, Scotland accounts for more than 28% of UK food and drink exports. Too wee to survive on our own?

In the above piece, I was able to demonstrate that Scotland produced at least 28% of all UK food and drink exports. A few days ago, we heard from multiple sources:

Salmon and Scotch whisky exports soar to record levels

In these reports we discovered, in particular, that Whisky exports had risen to £4.36 billion, up 9% on 2016 and now accounting for 20% of all UK food and drink exports. We also read that Salmon exports had leapt (upriver) 35% (!) to £600 million.

Now if the £4.36 billion is 20%, then £600 million is further 3% taking us to 23% with just two exports. Add the gin, which we produce the most of in the UK, other seafood, craft beer, beef, haggis and Kirriemuir iced gingerbread, all of which gave us a total of £5.6 billion in 2016 and I’m guessing we may well be contributing as much as 30% of all UK food and drink exports.

Only 30%? How could we survive on our own?

Footnote: Food and drink exports to the rest of the UK were estimated at more than £4bn in 2014.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-28916642

 

14 thoughts on “Still 8% of the population but now 30% of UK food and drink exports?”

  1. Pingback: Still 8% of the population but now 30% of UK food and drink exports? | speymouth
  2. Golfnut February 12, 2018 / 8:56 am

    That’s not even touching the oil and gas, uk exports around £20 billion of refined and crude oil, 8 refineries in England and Wales rely on this worthless stuff, at least 90% from Scottish seas. The £6 Billion in power we have to pay to send down south, and just as importantly, if not the most important, water pumped to the southeast, for which not surprisingly I can’t find any figures.

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  3. Bryan Weir February 12, 2018 / 9:24 am

    And that Springbank is a lovely dram!

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  4. Graemeo Rab February 12, 2018 / 9:53 am

    Would love to see what Scotland adds in her entirety to UK GDP. 10% ? more. This would give us the real Elephant in the room question. How in Gods name would RUK or England survive should she lose 10% +/- GDP upon Scotland leaving this Union. Add to that the Brexit impact assessment and well you’re possibly dealing with a bankrupt neighbour on Scotland’s door step.

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    • johnrobertson834 February 12, 2018 / 2:13 pm

      Yes, they’ve got to pretend they don’t really need us, to persuade our old folk to vote No.

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      • Veronica Guy February 13, 2018 / 3:35 am

        We oldies aren’t so silly you know. I am 74 and cannae wait for independence. It will come, not sure when. I really want the result to be well over 60% like the EU ref. was.
        Scotland has many many smarts and resources and a proper socially responsible government. We can do this.

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      • johnrobertson834 February 13, 2018 / 9:35 am

        I know, I know. Sorry! I’m 67 catching you up.

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      • Bryan Weir February 13, 2018 / 10:48 am

        And I’ll be 70 this year!

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    • Alasdair Macdonald February 12, 2018 / 4:55 pm

      The real killer would be the collapse in ratings agencies credit worthiness evaluations for England, once the oil and gas reserves in Scottish waters and the 25% of Europe’s potential renewable energy shifts from Westminster to Holyrood.

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  5. Alasdair Macdonald February 12, 2018 / 9:55 am

    “Footnote: Food and drink exports to the rest of the UK were estimated at more than £4bn in 2014.”

    This is what the unionists will focus on. If we become independent it is axiomatic, in the unionist mind, that England will not accept any exports from Scotland – and why should they since we are such ungrateful scum? So, people in England will have to do without their whisky, their smoked salmon, their Strathmore water, their Kirriemuir iced gingerbread and their deep-fried Mars bars. I am sure the consumers, in England, of such products will accept these privations meekly, but, of course we, in Scotland, will continue to take all exports from England and so there will be a ‘BLACK HOLE’ in our budget. So, we are better together with the people who would put the boot in because they look after us.

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  6. Graemeo Rab February 12, 2018 / 10:00 am

    I really don’t think RUK or England will have much of a choice who she deals with in the future if she wants to keep her lights on and her peoples fed.

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  7. Graemeo Rab February 12, 2018 / 3:35 pm

    During Indyref1 it could be argued that Unionist could legitimately ask for proof of Scotland’s economy post Independence as we The Scots wanted to leave a Union(UK). Now Post Brexit the ball is in our court and YES/SNP have to be more forthright in demanding an impact assessment of RUK/England’s economy after(Hypothetically) Scotland leaves this United Kingdom . After all it is they who want to leave the EU not us.

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