The beef sector could receive further funding and support as no-deal Brexit grows more likely.

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed hinted that more funding for beef farmers is likely on top what of has already been provided in 2019.

He acknowledged that beef producers were enduring a “really difficult period”.

“We have delivered, and you can take it as a direction of travel, the €120m extra this year for the beef sector,” the Minister said at the launch of the consultation for Food Wise 2025 on Wednesday.

He said the Government were closely monitoring political developments as preparations for Budget 2020 continue.

Key to determining the level of supports required will be analysis of the UK’s proposed tariffs on imports in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Minister said a no deal Brexit would be “calamitous for everybody”.

“I am glad in a way that the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is travelling the UK, and he’s in Northern Ireland today [Wednesday 31 July] because he needs to hear it first-hand, from businesses and farmers and their political representatives that a crash out Brexit works for nobody.”

Speaking to An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Tuesday, the new British Prime Minister promised there will be no physical border infrastructure or checks on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

However, Johnson said the UK will leave the EU on 31 October “no matter what”.

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