The Irish Farmers Journal understands that an application made to the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland (DARD) for the use of an “Irish beef” label on cattle either born, reared and slaughtered in the Republic of Ireland, or born in the Republic and imported into NI, will be approved in the next few days.

The application was made under the EU voluntary beef labelling scheme at the beginning of last week. The process then requires DARD to seek comment from the Department of Agriculture here.

Speaking at the Tullamore Show last Sunday, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney offered his support to such a label, but he said it might not be the answer that farmers here were looking for.

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“By pretending that we can have an Irish label while still having country-of-origin labelling on that product and pretending that that’s going to solve everything, it just isn’t,” he said.

It is a slightly different route to that chased a few weeks back when meat plant representatives were effectively making direct representation to authorities in the south.

It means that discussions on a deal between a major slaughter plant based in NI and a major British retailer to supply under an Irish beef label can now progress. The trade would include nomads, as well as direct imports from the south, but not NI cattle, which will continue to be sold under the British Red Tractor brand.

There is no question that the packs of beef will still have to comply with mandatory beef legislation – nomad cattle must be labelled “Born in Ireland; reared in Ireland/UK; slaughtered in UK”. However, the branding on the front of the pack will clearly be Irish.

While some sources in the south are uneasy that cattle which are effectively reared and slaughtered in another member state (given that NI is part of the UK) will carry an Irish identity, the converse argument is that it is a route to the British retail market for Irish beef. It could open the door for suppliers here to get more Irish beef onto British supermarket shelves.

The clear Irish identity also firmly knocks any suggestion emanating from Britain that Irish beef (particularly nomads) sometimes ends up labelled as British. No one can complain when the consumer is offered British Red Tractor beef or beef clearly labelled as Irish and has the freedom to choose.

IFA national livestock chairman Henry Burns welcomed the development and has urged all sides to continue to push for a successful conclusion to the talks on the label.

“Very good progress has been made towards a solution on the Northern Ireland issue. We cannot allow a drop-off in the activity now. With full support from all parties, I am confident that a solution can be implemented.

“We are at a critical period of the beef calendar and this can have a hugely positive impact on farmers here,” he said.