The Department of Agriculture is fast-tracking plans for a doomsday Brexit scenario.

A no-deal outcome would see Ireland’s €4.5bn of food exports to the UK halve under the weight of WTO tariffs. Just over 100 days remain until the 29 March deadline for the UK to withdraw from the EU.

Tariffs would price Irish product out of the UK market, doubling the UK price of Irish beef for mince from €3.50/kg to €7/kg. Cheddar price would soar from €3/kg to €4.67/kg, hammering sales.

Extra customs officials are being hired for animal and food sanitary checks at Ireland’s ports. The UK parliament has failed to approve the draft agreement negotiated by prime minister Theresa May with the EU. On Wednesday evening, she faced a vote of no-confidence from her own party.

Refrigerated stores in the UK are already filling up with medical supplies as a contingency against a no deal. This has driven up storage costs for Irish meat by 10%. This is probably only a taste of what lies ahead.