Irish farmers will “absolutely” use Northern Ireland as a backdoor into Britain if the UK's no-deal Brexit plans are implemented, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) president has said.

IFA president Joe Healy dismissed Britain’s no deal contingency plans as “crazy” and said farmers would take advantage of the Northern Ireland border loophole.

Speaking to Independent.ie’s Floating Voter podcast, Mr Healy said: “I was wondering if I was misreading it this first time I read it because I said ‘this is crazy stuff’”

“If it wasn’t Brexit you would say it was a joke but because it is Brexit you think this could be serious,” he added.

Prime Minister Theresa May has suggested she would not introduce tariffs on trade going from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland in the event of a disorderly Brexit. However, she would charge tariffs on goods coming into ports and airports on mainland Britain.

“Something from Wexford if it went out through Rosslare it would pay a tariff (but) if it drove up through Northern Ireland it could find its way on to mainland UK without paying a tariff,” Mr Healy said.

He said it would not be long until the “penny dropped” for farmers who would begin using Northern Ireland to access Britain.

Mr Healy also weighed into the debate over the photograph he appeared in alongside EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste Simon Coveney and president of the French farmers union Christiane Lambert before the Ireland versus France Six Nations Rugby match in Dublin.

Fianna Fáil Brexit spokesperson Lisa Chamber criticised the “strident walk” of those pictured and said the photograph was “choreographed”.

Mr Healy insisted he was there to speak to Mr Barnier about the threat facing farmers as Brexit talks remained deadlocked.

“We can meet the Taoiseach or the Tanaiste at any time, on that walk I was more interested in talking to Michel Barnier,” he said.

Mr Healy also joked: “if you saw the clouds filling over head (that day) it is running you’d be.”

“We didn’t run and paid the price for not running because we got absolutely saturate,” he added.