In a statement to the Irish Farmers Journal, the body representing Irish meat processors said that the industry plays “an important role in the overall UK meat supply chain across retail, food service, manufacturing and wholesale segments”.

MII confirmed that The Co-Op, the fifth-largest supermarket chain in the UK, had not been sourcing Irish beef. Therefore, its decision does not affect Irish exports directly.

However, MII noted that Brexit already holds “major concerns” for access to the UK market, which absorbs 54% of the Republic’s beef exports. “If we are now seeing an intensification of a ‘buy British’ campaign, this is obviously going to be a further challenge,” the industry body added. “The UK is a vital market and we need to do everything to retain market share in these times of great uncertainty.”

By contrast, the trend towards food nationalism is positive for Northern Ireland farmers.

MII said that Irish exporters would continue to work with their UK customers as well as the Department of Agriculture and Bord Bia here to ensure that Irish quality meat has maximum access to overseas markets including the UK.

Full coverage: Brexit

'Buy British' trend a challenge – meat factories

Although the UK retailer The Co-op did not import Irish beef, its decision to source only British meat illustrates a challenging trend in the context of Brexit, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has said.