Iceland, the British frozen food retailers which has eight stores in the Republic, is to stock Irish meat for the first time following an agreement reached with a Co Monaghan-based meat processing company.

Barford Meats, in Carrickmacross, has been awarded the contract, expected to be worth £750,000 (€952,000) in year one, to supply beef, lamb and pork to the Irish stores, which include 29 in the North.

Iceland, which had a £1.7 billion sterling turnover last year, has 750 stores in Britain, almost half of which also sell freezers, fridges and microwaves.