The Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) along with Scottish wholesalers have been acknowledged in the Scottish Parliament for their vital role in bolstering the Scottish economy and supporting communities across the country.
Politicians recently commended the sector’s invaluable contributions to the food and drink sector, in their constituencies and the nation as a whole. The Members’ Debate, initiated by Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, provided a platform for politicians from all parties to speak about the often overlooked yet vital role of wholesalers in the food and drink supply chain.
Mr MacDonald state: “The Scottish wholesale sector provides a vital service, ensuring our food and drink supply chain runs smoothly, supporting retail and hospitality businesses. The sector is undoubtedly crucial to the success of so many other businesses. It impacts on every village, town, and city across the country, and without the support of the wholesale sector many of our small convenience stores would struggle to survive. It is right that we both acknowledge and commend the contribution of the sector.”
Representatives from all political parties echoed MacDonald’s sentiments. David Torrance, SNP MSP for Kirkcaldy, highlighted the vital role of wholesalers in Fife, mentioning Fife Creamery especially, stating: “I take this moment to express my appreciation for the Scottish wholesaling sector and to highlight the success of wholesalers in my constituency.
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“We would all be worse off if the sector were not as strong as it is, and we would do well to support its continued success. The Scottish Wholesale Association’s outlining of its members’ concerns represents a welcome first step towards considering how we can support wholesalers across Scotland so that our strong and vibrant food and drink network can continue to flourish.”
Meanwhile, Brian Whittle, Scottish Conservative MSP for South Scotland, praised the sector: “Without wholesalers, the supply chain would collapse. They are the unseen and perhaps unheralded link between producers and retailers.
“Our world-class producers do their thing, and our retailers present those world-class products to the public. The glue in the middle is our wholesalers, who ensure that there are buyers for our producers and suppliers to those retailers.”
The debate stemmed from ongoing SWA collaboration with Mr MacDonald, who recently visited Mark Murphy Foodservice (part of Dole UK) which is based in his constituency. During his visit, he observed the operations first-hand and engaged with representatives from both SWA and Mark Murphy, discussing some of the challenges faced by the sector.
Colin Smith, SWA chief executive, expressed his gratitude, stating: “We are delighted that Mr MacDonald, an enthusiastic supporter of the wholesale sector and the wider food and drink industry in Scotland, has presented such a positive motion in the Scottish Parliament.
“This debate and the vocal cross-party support that it has received underscores the significance of our sector, as well as demonstrating the powerful voice of the SWA in raising the profile of wholesale, and SWA’s standing within Parliament by securing the various wholesale assistance funds and grants over the past four years and our commitment to supporting Scotland’s economy and communities.
