Scottish food exports have surpassed the £1.1 billion mark for the first time, with total food and drink exports valued at £5.1 billion in 2014.

The new figures, which have been extracted from official HMRC export statistics for 2014, show that food exports alone grew by 3.5% on 2013, driven primarily by an increase in fish and seafood, which was up £38 million.

The news has been welcomed by Scotlands food secretary Richard Lochhead as a positive milestone, signalling increasing international awareness and appreciation of the quality and provenance of Scottish food, and Scotlands distinguished heritage as a food producing nation.

Lochhead says, "These figures are extremely encouraging, particularly long-term, and reflective of the fantastic produce we have to offer here in Scotland."

The top international destination for Scottish food and drink produce remains the US, with exports worth £800 million, followed by France, with exports of £734 million in 2014. For the first time, Spain has entered the top three export destinations, with exports valued at £247 million. The fourth and fifth export markets, ranked by value, are Germany (£208 million) and Singapore (£202 million) respectively.

The industry has also benefited from some strong increases in food exports to a number of growth markets during 2014, which has helped to balance the overall picture for food and drink exports. For example, food exports to China are up 82% to £46 million, mostly due to a 92% increase in exports of fish and seafood, and meat exports of £1.4 million, following the lifting of an import ban on British pork. Food exports to the wider Asia and Oceania region are up 31% to £113 million.

Similarly, food exports to the UAE increased 25% in 2014 from their value in 2013 to £124 million, which sees the UAE jump from 15th place to 8th in terms of biggest export destinations.

The largest share of food exports was in the fish and seafood sector, with international sales hitting £613 million – up 6.6% compared to the previous year. The rise in value of fish and seafood exports was primarily driven by an increase in exports to Asia and Oceania (+£20 million), the EU (+£15 million) and Sub-Saharan Africa (+£11 million) and has been aided by a collaborative industry effort to boost overseas demand for Scottish fish and seafood.