Smith “delighted” extra £10 million support offered to wholesalers

An additional £10 million has been made available to support the food and drink wholesale sector in Scotland.

The Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) has welcomed the news that was announced by Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy Kate Forbes to help with the pandemic recovery.

The extra funds are on top of the £5 million dedicated funding for wholesale announced by Scottish Government in December as part of £100 million Omicron business support package.

It is expected that a new round of the Scottish Food and Drink Wholesale Resilience Fund will go live on Friday. This will be similar to the first fund launched in December 2020 when the SWA first secured £5 million for the sector.

“Wholesalers haven’t received the same benefits as many other businesses such as rates relief or strategic framework grants over the pasts year,” said SWA Chief Executive Colin Smith.

“The SWA highlighted this anomaly and the real hardship faced by many wholesalers to the Scottish Government. So this latest, dedicated funding recognises the key role that wholesalers play in the food and drink supply chain, including the supply into schools and hospitals.

“We’re delighted that the Finance Secretary has accepted our calls for further support. We have worked hard to build an excellent relationship with Scottish Government officials and helped them to understand the importance of wholesale to local economies across Scotland where our industry is a key employer.

“What the SWA team has achieved is unmatched anywhere else in the UK, with the Scottish Government targeting nearly £23 million for wholesalers over the last two years.

“We know this funding will be a lifeline for many wholesalers and we’re delighted the government has acknowledged the important work undertaken in the food and drink supply chain and by Scotland’s wholesalers.”

Colin Smith coronavirus covid-19 funding Government Omicron Scottish Wholesale Association Support SWA Wholesalers