Macra hits out at quota trading plan

THE open trading of milk quota would not improve competitiveness in the dairy sector, Macra na Feirme claimed in response to the 2015 agri-vision action plan launched by Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan.

Macra president Colm Markey said that open quota trading would result in progressive dairy farmers paying huge amounts to those leaving the sector.

“I cannot understand how asking dairy farmers to foot the cost of a nest egg for those leaving the industry will improve competitiveness,” he said.