Mr. Shane Hamill:

That is where we see much of the progress taking place. The customs training and supply chain workshops we have launched are addressing those issues. They cover the additional administrative processes and complexities that are emerging and the costs and potential time delays associated with same. The majority of Bord Bia clients were not familiar with those documents until recently. We are showing people what it takes to fill out a customs single administrative document, SAD, and an export declaration, what customs agents will help them do so, and how much customs agents will charge. In the customs assistance market and depending on who is being asked, it could be anything from €25 to €50 to help with an SAD. We also address the associated veterinary inspections. When a product lands in the UK, customs are handled by one group of officials while sanitary and phytosanitary standards, SPS, and veterinary checks are handled by another. We talk to people about the costs associated with those processes. This is a complex methodology and depends on the type of product being moved, how large the consignment is and so on. There is no back-of-the-envelope figure but, as clarity emerges about how the UK side intends to calculate that, we will filter that information through to our client base.

Delays could be entailed. Going by anecdotal evidence, a delay could last two hours or a day depending on whether the check is documentary or physical. If the latter, then is the person's consignment at the back or front of the truck? These are the practical considerations that come into play.

We are equipping Bord Bia's clients to understand these implications, forecast the associated costs and understand the potential delays. Through our training, we try to remind our clients that, even in the softest Brexit scenario, circumstances will change and their supply chains will become more expensive, but also that the just-in-time supply chain in which we operate is not about speed, but predictability. We are trying to help them understand the potential obstacles facing them as they go forward. If they can predict those, they will be better equipped to manage them.