The farm and agriculture advisory body Teagasc has warned that the price of flour and bread in Ireland is likely to increase in a no-deal Brexit scenario.

The majority of flour sold in Ireland is sourced from the UK and bread made in this country is also made with UK flour.

Irish consumers previously felt a pinch in bread supply during the Beast from the East extreme weather event, when flour supply from the UK was disrupted in 2018.

There [could] be a 44% additional tariff on flour from the UK

Teagasc economist Kevin Hanrahan said that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, there would be a 44% additional tariff on flour from the UK.

He said that while the Irish market would seek a substitute, there would be an issue with any substitute sourced from the continent, as the flour there would not make a perfect substitute in terms of the bread the Irish consumer likes to eat.

“It will push up the cost of flour,” Hanrahan said.

“Some of that will be felt at consumer level.”

He also warned that it would “push up the price of bread we buy in shops”.