Image source, ALTAMIRA83 / Thinkstock

Ms Grant says she agree with the Tory amendment on barriers to growth but that she will await budget details before supporting it.

The Labour MSP says there is not a single member of the council from the Highlands and Islands and she believes this is shortsighted.

She says someone who lives there and knows the area should be on the independent council and, for that reason, Labour will support the Lib Dem amendment.

Mr Grant says producers are facing real challenges with CAP payments and Brexit and they must be put back on an even footing.

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant says we must not allow Brexit to affect the standards of our food and drink.

Ms Grant says local produce is becoming more and more available but there is still a lot of work to be done.

She says tied pubs are limited in what they can sell and landlords are sold the beer at an inflated price, they also limit choice to customers.

Ms Grant asks the parliament to ensure Scottish beer has a bigger share of the Scottish market.

Mr Mountain says if we are serious about making Scotland a good food nation then the public sector must lead the way.

"We don't seem to have progressed much," he says.

The Tory MSP says his party welcome many of the ambitions in the strategy.

He says "we must make sure primary producers are rewarded" and that local produce is the first choice.

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Edward Mountain praises the achievements of the Scottish food and drink industry.

Mr Mountain says this economic growth will always get cross-party support.

He welcomes the growth strategy but says the Scottish government must focus and deliver in farm gate prices.

Mr Mountain says farmers, growers and crofters are not benefiting from the success of the food and drink industry with farm incomes falling.

They must be rewarded or production will stall and shrive he says.

Tory MSP Edward Mountain says maybe if Mr Ewing listens to what he has to say, he might find it easier to support his amendment.

Mr Mountain says Scottish cuisine had come to be something of a joke among comedians thanks to actors like Rab C Nesbit.

The Tory MSP says this has changed and he welcomes the progress that has been made and sees this as being down to the collaborative approach

Image source, Scottish government

Plans to increase the use of Scottish produce in schools, hospitals and other public sector organisations have been unveiled by Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing.

£1.2 million has been confirmed to expand the current Food for Life programme, to increase the amount of locally-sourced and produced food in Scotland’s schools.

A further £100,000 will deliver a new Supplier Development Programme, to help small and medium sized food and drink businesses compete for public sector food contracts.

Mr Ewing says: "Interest and pride in our food and drink is flourishing."

The rural economy secretary says building business capability is key.

Mr Ewing says the world is changing and consumers continually want healthier food which creates opportunity for innovation.

The rural economy secretary says farmers, fishermen and crofters are those who are supplying food and drink and that should never be forgotten.

He says sometimes the supply change does not work as it should and that is being looked at.

Mr Ewing says many businesses are doing well in the UK market but there more opportunity there.

Image source, Scottish Salmon Company

Scotland's food and drink exports have grown by more than 10% in a year, figures published in June show.

Sales hit £1.2bn in the first three months of 2017, up £124m (11%) on the same period in 2016.

Scotch whisky and Scottish salmon topped the UK export chart in the first quarter of 2017.

They made up 22% of the value of total food and drink exports from the United Kingdom.

Read more here.

Image source, bbc

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing says at the heart of Scotland's success is its reputation and high quality provenance.

Mr Ewing pays tribute to the men and women in the food and drink industry.

The minister highlights the Ambition 2030 strategy, external calling it a "bold plan of action".

Image source, Getty Images

Food and drink exports from Scotland rose to a record £5.5bn last year, government figures published in March show.

Significant growth in sales of seafood and whisky helped exports increase £421m (8%) in 2016.

Exports to EU countries were worth £2.3bn, up £133m, which the Scottish government said underlined the importance of European markets.

Whisky exports were worth £4bn, up £153m (4%) from 2015, while fish and seafood sales were up £156m to £759m.

Read more here.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing says the past few weeks he has been "a very lucky chap indeed" because he has been sampling food and drink in Scotland.

Mr Ewing says he sampled seaweed which Scotland exports and that one barrel of Scottish seaweed is worth more than 20 barrels of oil.

The rural economy secretary says he believes all parties can support Scotland's food and drink.

Image source, Getty Images

In March a drive was launched to more than double turnover in Scotland's food and drink sector by 2030.

"Ambition 2030" has been developed by organisations in the farming, fishing, food and drink industries, alongside the Scottish government and agencies.

The strategy aims to increase the sector's turnover from an estimated £14.4bn to £30bn within 13 years.

It will focus on building Scotland's brand as a land of food and drink and driving sales in the UK and abroad.

The plan also hopes to raise the attractiveness of the industry as a career and ensure farmers, fishermen, manufacturers and buyers share in profitability.

Read more here.

The Scottish government will now lead a debate on Scotland's Food and Drink Strategy.