A leading Scottish dairy farmer has said Scotland has to 'think big' and play on its strengths in the midst of uncertainty and change.
Robert Graham of Graham’s the Family Dairy has said it’s never been more important than now for Scotland to become a success.
It is in response to the economic uncertainty of Brexit.
The MD of Graham’s believes Scotland’s dairy industry can create opportunity that would see Scotland benefit in many transformational ways: through increased job drivers, stronger international trading relationships and economic resilience.
“Dairy is perfectly positioned to support job creation at a global scale,” said Mr Graham. “In doing so, the sector can grow Scotland’s GDP, forge career pathways and support education programmes.”
Food exports
Scotland’s food and drink exports increased by over 11 per cent in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2016.
In the first three months of 2017, food and drink worth £1.2 billion was exported, an increase of £124 million on 2016.
Yet Great Britain is the world’s third largest net importer of dairy by value. 90% of all spreadable butter sold in Scotland is not produced in Scotland; for yoghurt, the figure is also around 90%.
To make the most of the market potential, Mr Graham is asking for the immediate increase of Scotland’s domestic production capacity.
Increase domestic production
He said: “It’s never been more important than now for Scotland to play to its strengths and think big. We need to grow Scotland’s domestic production capacity now, to develop and sell more home-grown products and support businesses.
“As a third-generation family business, we have grown by continually investing in three things: people, brands and modern production facilities. I believe these values apply equally to the Scottish economy.
“However, re-balancing our industrial strategy needs to come swiftly. Increasing Scotland’s domestic processing capacity will be the pipeline for developing new products, boosting innovation, delivering inclusive skills development and improving Scotland’s export. All are central to building a resilient post-Brexit economy.”
Graham’s the Family Dairy has proposed a national dairy production, research and education facility in Stirling.
