Scottish salmon exports leap in January
Scottish salmon exports in January almost doubled year on year, UK Government figures show. Exports in January 2022 were £37m, compared with just £19m in January of last year, and the total for the 12 months to January 2022 was £632m, up 49% on the same period for the previous year.
Volumes for the 12 months to January 2022 were up 42% to 99,400 tonnes.
The year on year increase comes as no surprise. January 2021 represented a perfect storm for the UK seafood industry, with the end of the Brexit transition period and the imposition of new controls on food exports to the European Union following on from a pre-Christmas travel ban imposed by France, in response to the rise of Covid-19 infections in the UK.
This January saw a substantial volume of trade despite stormy weather and continuing concerns over the Omicron variant of Covid.
The EU accounted for 63% of the volume of global Scottish salmon exports in the month, with France the dominant European market. The sector has also been celebrating the 30th anniversary of Scottish salmon operating with the Label Rouge quality mark in France.
Tavish Scott, Chief Executive of Salmon Scotland, said: “Demand for our unrivalled farm-raised Scottish salmon continues to grow, as demonstrated in the latest monthly figures.
“After such a difficult economic period during Covid, and with harsh weather conditions throughout January, this demonstrates the dedication of our farmers.
“These export sales produce a massive economic benefit for rural and coastal communities in Scotland, delivering thousands of highly-skilled, well-paid jobs.
“But it isn’t just about economics, as everyone in Scotland can be proud that we produce such as high-quality nutritious product with rigorous environmental and welfare standards and a low carbon footprint.”
