Speaking to Sean O'Rourke on RTE radio 1 this morning, McCarthy reiterated the strain that a hard Brexit could place on the Irish food industry and called on the industry as a whole to step up its efforts.

"Absolute urgency is needed from the food industry to diversify (where our produce goes). We have been doing it for years but now we must do so with more urgency," she said, "Brexit is the single biggest strategic challenge that the Irish food industry has faced."

The only big change so far has been currency, according to McCarthy, "Our first response was to talk to companies about currency and see how our customers were responding." The second phase of the response only really began in January when Bord Bia began looking for, as McCarthy describes it, real data: "We began looking for the facts of what is happening, looking for the real data."

Home market

With 37% of our food and drink exports going to the UK, nobody can argue the importance of the market. However, we must not get caught up in the UK and forget our own market, according to McCarthy. "We can't take our eye off the ball when it comes to our home market, and the markets outside of the UK."

We are preparing for the worst scenario... but we are one of the unique industries that has a plan

"We are preparing for the worst scenario... but we are one of the unique industries that has a plan (for our industry) in Foodwise 2025.

"We have made a huge investment with Origin Green and we will continue to work with our industry to refocus our energy and resources."

Mushrooms

Discussing the effects that Brexit has had on the industry so far, O'Rourke highlighted the issues that the mushroom industry has had.

"The mushroom industry was probably hit the hardest. They are operating in a low-margin business, with the UK market so important to the industry," McCarthy said. She highlighted that the dramatic swing in currency most affected incomes from mushroom production. Commenting on the recent trade visit to Saudi Arabia, she said that "while the Saudi market won't replace the UK, it will be another option." She went on to highlight that by adding value to our products such as mushrooms with vitamin D we open up opportunities for our produce.

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