Food and Drink Ireland (FDI) have claimed that the effect of Brexit on the Irish food and drink industry will be so extreme that a series of exemptions will be needed from EU state aid rules.
Because the industry is the most exposed to the potential mal-effects of Brexit, the group warns that agri-food sector here could see a fall of up to 20 percent.
It has called on the Irish government to put in place a package of measures to help businesses deal with the fallout from Brexit.
Under current EU state aid rules, EU governments can only intervene in cases of clear market failure.
