Welsh food and drink sector grew by 10% in 2023
© Adobe Stock Latest figures have revealed a significant growth in Wales’s food and drink industry, with a 10% increase in sector turnover from £22.3bn in 2022 to £24.6bn in 2023.
The number of businesses increased by 1% in 2023, to 28,768. The food and drink supply chain employed 228,500 people in Wales in 2023, equivalent to 17% of Wales’s total workforce.
See also: Analysis: Challenges threaten future of Welsh farming
The “food foundation” sector, which includes businesses involved in the production, processing, manufacturing, and wholesale of food and drink goods, surpassed its 2025 target of £8.5bn in turnover two years early, achieving £9.3bn in 2023.
The Welsh government unveiled the figures in its Food Matters: Wales document, which was published at the Royal Welsh Show.
This document integrates various food-related policies, covering health, education, sustainability, community, and economic aspects.
It aims to support the growth of the agri-food industry and the sustainable management of natural resources.
Huw Irranca-Davies, the Welsh government’s cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs, said: “This success creates the wealth that underpins the development of our vital agri-food industry.
“We have now passed the economic target we set ourselves by 2025 and we can truly say Wales is a food nation and this is a real partnership success.”