Then look at the other alternative--who benefits from the quotas?
it's not the consumers, and it's not the producers.
It's the government that sells the quotas, right? then the quotas are in place as a hidden tax.
If only the government sold the quota - at least they'd get revenues. It is in fact a monopoly syndicate.
On the other hand, quotas allow a market for bootleg maple syrup. Everyone knows that bootlegged stuff is
always better than the legal stuff....