Custom operators and farmers may be unaware of a small but important change to the Saskatchewan Farm Fuel Program for 2001 — if eligible, custom operators can claim a fuel tax rebate.
The changes to the farm fuel program were announced last November and included removing volume limits and most of the paperwork associated with the program, said Joe Novak, a farm management specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture.
Custom operators, many of whom are also farmers, must have their permit approved before being eligible for the exemption.
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Permits are available for unlicensed vehicles from the fuel program at 800-667-7587. This includes field equipment used to do custom spraying, harvesting and corral cleaning.
Who is eligible?
The exemption applies to farm work done by a custom operator, as long as the work is carried out in Saskatchewan.
It does not apply to non-farm work, transporting material for compensation, or operating licensed vehicles that are not registered as Class F.
“In the past, some producers may have supplied the fuel or the operators may have absorbed the cost,”
Novak said.
“Now the custom operators can claim a rebate for the fuel and pass the savings on to the producer.”
