Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We need to diversify our markets because some sectors are too reliant on the British market. That would be necessary even if Brexit was not looming. We have intensified those efforts, for example by increasing staffing in all the key State agencies in this area. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, has been spending a lot more time on trade missions than would probably otherwise be the case. We have seen a dramatic increase in agrifood trade with big markets like China. Such trade has almost reached €1 billion per annum.

Five or six years ago, that figure was probably less than €200 million.

We are seeing significant increased efforts to find alternative markets in anticipation of problems in the context of Brexit, but that does not happen overnight. The relationships that we have in the UK are still strong, still functioning and still need to be maintained. At the same time, we are opening up other options for companies to trade, particularly in the agrifood sector.

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