Fertilizer tariff unfair to producers
We appreciated the article The Western Producer published in late July about the 35 percent tariff that is hitting farmers today even before any regulations are in place.
There has not been much media coverage on this tariff on Russian fertilizer that no other G7 country, including the U.S., is applying to its farmers. In fact, no other G7 country has tariffs on Russian fertilizer now, in the past or in the future because they know the importance of fertilizer for their farmers and food production.
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Kochia has become a significant problem for Prairie farmers
As you travel through southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, particularly in areas challenged by dry growing conditions, the magnitude of the kochia problem is easy to see.
We also read your editorial from Aug. 4 entitled, “Fertilizer use not the same as fertilizer emissions.” Although technically correct, this will give Ontario farmers small comfort to know The Western Producer position doesn’t seem to object to fertilizer regulations “targeting” Ontario farmers.
“Ontario and Quebec are farming their 13 million acres in an American Midwestern-type environment, which also means using higher rates of nitrogen application, surface spreading, tillage and higher rainfall. Those two provinces are likely better targets for large reductions in emissions.”
Like western farmers, farmers in Ontario also have very good practices in place. Pitting one region against another will not serve agriculture well in the short or long term.
We remain concerned about any future regulations, the rapidly rising price of fertilizer, plus the immediate issue of the 35 percent tariff that the Trudeau government adds to the price that is putting our farms at an incredible competitive disadvantage with the U.S. and making consumers pay more for food. Incredibly, the Trudeau government’s tariff on fertilizer is retroactive, applying also to fertilizer purchased prior to the Russia-Ukrainian war.
We want Russia to stop the war in Ukraine and respect Ukrainian borders, but making Canadian farmers, and ultimately Canadian consumers, pay the price for the war with a tariff during high inflation and a time of increasing food shortages — this is unfair and unwise.
The world needs more Canadian farmers and more Canadian food. The tariff on fertilizer has been a mistake and the public would have a lot more respect for the federal government if they removed the tariff and helped support the creation of more fertilizer manufacturing capacity in Canada, which is a long-term solution, long overdue.
Ryan Koeslag, P.Ag.
Ontario Bean Growers executive director
Better ways to spend $500 per person
Everyone loves a freebie, but the recently announced 500 bucks per Saskatchewan resident over age 18 could be put to much better use.
Our highways and roads are in deplorable condition. I would invite Premier Moe to drive from Hudson Bay to Preeceville on Highway 9. Highways like this should be an embarrassment to our provincial government. Instead, we’re offered helicopter money. To me, this sounds like political vote buying for the next election.
Five hundred bucks will not go very far in repairing the front end on our car, and 500 bucks will not make a dent in the inflationary pressures we are facing, from fuel to food, not to mention farm maintenance costs.
Dave Bober,
Hudson Bay, Sask.
