Carbon tax relief may be coming soon for Canadian farmers who use propane or natural gas to dry grain. But it remains to be seen if that relief will also be extended to grain farmers and livestock producers who use propane and natural gas to heat barns and other essential farm buildings. Last month, Bill […] Read more
Tag Archives carbon tax
Grain drying relief gains traction
Despite voting against a proposal to exempt certain farm fuels from the carbon tax, the federal government says relief for grain drying is coming. On Feb. 25, Bill C-206, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (qualifying farming fuel), took a step closer to becoming law after receiving second reading and being […] Read more
Farm groups form carbon coalition
Proposed federal carbon tax hikes seen as a threat to farmers have prompted the formation of a national coalition to oppose the carbon plan. “I think it raised a lot of concerns for how farmers would disproportionately be impacted because of their reliance on fuel and on natural gas to feed Canada and the world,” […] Read more
Feds’ prairie rep reassures farmers on grain drying
More prairie people are needed at the centre of the federal government, Jim Carr told the Canadian Crops Convention March 3. And with everything that society has learned from the trend toward working remotely during the pandemic, that’s more possible than ever to make real. “I think there are going to be some significant changes […] Read more
Grain drying relief moving forward
Despite voting against a new law to exempt certain farm fuels from the carbon tax, the federal government says relief for grain drying is coming. On Feb. 25, Bill C-206, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (qualifying farming fuel), got a step closer to becoming law after receiving second reading and […] Read more
Diesel price increases expected to continue
Prices were already rising, and industry fears a planned jump in the carbon tax in April will make the situation worse
Crude oil prices have been steadily on the rise since last November as oil producing nations implement production cuts. This means Canadian farmers already affected by climbing diesel fuel prices will have to dig deeper into their wallets this April. On April 1, the federal government’s carbon levy on diesel will go up from $0.0805 […] Read more
Cost of carbon tax exemptions estimated at $235 million
Private member’s bill introduced in the House would extend agriculture exemption to include natural gas and propane
A report from Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Office says the cost of exempting more farm fuels from carbon pricing would be $235 million over the next five years. Conservative MP Philip Lawrence introduced a private member’s bill in February 2020 that would extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane, meaning […] Read more
Advancing technology complicates carbon cost forecasts
Canadian Pacific Railway announced in December a pilot project to develop North America’s first line-haul hydrogen-powered locomotive to evaluate the technology’s readiness. Globally, railways, truckers and others are looking at a range of technologies and practices to reduce or eliminate their carbon footprint to address their contribution to climate change and to respond to pressures […] Read more
Which Joe Biden will we get now that he is president?
As United States President Joe Biden comes to power, are we going to get the great reset of U.S. and international trade policy that we desperately need? So much of the world needs it, but how willing and able to deliver it is Biden? Canadian farmers have suffered as world trade has been pummelled by […] Read more
Analyst warns of far-reaching carbon tax costs
Research points to higher transportation costs, lower crop prices and a reduction in acres due to rising fertilizer costs
If the carbon tax hits $170 per tonne by 2030, western Canadian farmers will probably be hurt by $169-$182 million per year on rail costs alone, according to analysis just completed by longtime grain industry analyst Blair Rutter. Add in increased costs to fertilizer use, trucking and grain drying and the Prairies could see crops […] Read more
