Training - A Key Success Factor in New Entrant Dairy scheme
03 June 2010
Macra na Feirme national president Michael Gowing welcomed Minister Smith’s announcement that 41 ‘brand new’ entrants, who had not previously held quota, will each receive allocations of 200,000 liters as part of the 1% yearly milk quota increase under CAP Health Check.
Mr. Gowing said ‘dairying is a demanding career, with high barriers to entry and for those new entrants who are starting out, training with play a very important role in their success. Macra fully support the training course requirement as part of the quota allocation as knowledge in areas such as grassland management, breeding and budgeting, supported by participation in discussion groups will help these new entrants succeed in dairying’, he said.
The Macra president also welcomed the decision to provide an individual allocation of 181,250 litres to 32 recent new entrants to dairying. These farmers had started from a zero milk quota bass, then successfully purchased small volumes of quota prior to the launch of last year’s new entrant scheme but were subsequently deemed ineligible under the rules for that scheme. Mr. Gowing said Macra had lobbied for the inclusion of these new entrants who were still producing from a very low milk quota base and provide them with a similar support to those who commenced under the New Entrant Dairying scheme.
