Professor Gerry Boyle:

Yes, but it is an 8% increase. First, there was an improvement in subsistence rates, which had been fixed for a number of years, and this accounts for a significant part of the increase. Second, we have additional staff. All of our travel and subsistence is driven by activity levels on farms. Owing to the fodder situation, we have been engaging in more on-farm visits, which gives rise to additional expenses. While we have 45,000 clients, when it comes to fodder advice we give that to non-clients as well, which is another additional cost.

As regards the foreign trips-----