For Ralph Eichler, Manitoba’s minister of agriculture, the irony was hard to ignore.
In a morning session at the Manitoba Beef Producer’s annual general meeting in early February, cattle ranchers listened to a two-hour presentation on social licence and public trust.
In the afternoon session, some of those same ranchers said farmers should be exempt from carbon taxation and they passed a resolution, almost unanimously, saying Canada should do nothing to reduce carbon dioxide emissions unless the United States takes similar action.
Such comments and resolutions make life difficult for Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative government, which is developing a ‘made in Manitoba’ climate change plan.
Read Also
Crop conditions a pleasant surprise
Market analysts found some stressed crops and some good ones on pre-Ag In Motion 2025 crop tours,
The province needs the support of farm groups because agriculture represents about 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Manitoba.
Eichler, who attended the MBP meeting in Brandon, said farmers, including cattle producers, must do their part when it comes to carbon emissions.
“The reality is we (producers) have got a role to play,” he said. “We could exempt every farmer. We could do that. Then what do we do? What does the general public say about that? When you don’t want to be part of the solution, what does that say to our urban friends?”
The Manitoba government is working on a climate change plan because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told provinces to introduce a price for carbon or a cap and trade system by 2018. Otherwise, the feds will impose a price on carbon emissions.
Trudeau has said the proposed price should start at $10 per tonne of emissions in 2018, rising to $50 per tonne by 2022.
Eichler has spoken to many farmers about climate change during the last six months. He believes they want to contribute.
“Most of them know that we’ve got to be part of the solution. Things are not like they used to be, as far as climate is concerned.”
Kristine Tapley, a rancher from Langruth, Man., said producers do want to reduce carbon emissions but they can’t go broke in the process.
“I just think they have (concerns) about keeping our industry viable.”
Nonetheless, Tapley was troubled by the resolution at the Brandon meeting that urged Canada to do nothing about carbon emissions unless the U.S. is also on board.
She was the only person in the room who opposed the resolution.
“I think blanket statements (to follow) the lead of the U.S. at this point (on climate change) is a scary thing to lobby for,” Tapley said. “I think this needs a lot more conversation.”
MBP members also passed resolutions asking the government to compensate farmers who sequester carbon in the soil.
Brian Lemon, MBP general manager, said listening to producers at an annual general meeting is an essential part of policy development.
“We expect in the next number of weeks that we’ll be able to say here’s where Manitoba Beef Producers stand, in terms of carbon.”
He added that carbon emissions are a top of mind issue for MBP and it’s critical that producer groups contribute to the discussions around climate change policy.
Eichler wants farm groups to participate in the policy making, saying he believes they can make it better.
If Manitoba’s private and public sectors don’t come up with a plan, someone else will, he said.
“We’re not sure what it (the plan) is going to look like,” Eichler said. “But we will not be dictated to by Trudeau.”
