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National hog and poultry groups are welcoming proposed legislation aimed at mitigating animal health risks from trespassers on farms.

Conservative shadow minister for agriculture and Foothills MP John Barlow introduced Bill C-205 on Tuesday.

The private member’s bill would make it an offence under the Health of Animals Act to enter, without lawful authority or excuse, a place in which animals are kept, if by doing so could result in exposing the animals to a disease or toxic substance. It would also increase the penalties for groups and organizations who encourage individuals to threaten the biosecurity of animals and workers.

“Recently, more and more individuals have been trespassing on farms and food processing centres,” notes Barlow. “This has the potential to cause massive biosecurity issues for animals and the individuals who work with them.”

Barlow says the Act currently provides authority for controlling diseases and toxic substances with respect to the owner of the animals, but it does not address trespassers.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Pork Council, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Egg Farmers of Canada, Turkey Farmers of Canada, and Canadian Meat Council all say they support the proposed legislation.

“The CFA supports in principle, and encourages, MP John Barlow’s private members bill to support Canadian farmers who have been negatively impacted by activism. We believe that the introduction of this bill is an important and necessary step in the right direction,” says CFA president Mary Robinson in a statement.

“Intrusions on a pork farm cause a breach in the biosecurity protocols in place to protect the health of the animals and puts their care in jeopardy. Supportive measures such as Bill C-205 to deter trespassing, acts of breaking and entering, acts of vandalism and intimidation are very well-received by pork producers,” explains Rick Bergmann, chair of CPC.

The animal health bill was one of two private member’s bills related to agriculture that were tabled by the Conservatives on Tuesday. The other, if passed, would exempt fuel used for on-farm heating and grain drying from the federal carbon tax.

A Conservative Member of Parliament from southern Ontario tabled legislation in the House of Commons on Tuesday that would remove the carbon tax from fuels used for drying grain and heating on farms.

The private member’s bill, which would amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, was introduced by Philip Lawrence, MP for Northumberland—Peterborough South.

“In recent years, farmers have faced unpredictable weather conditions, trade disruptions and global pricing instability, and to add insult to injury, the Liberal carbon tax is cutting farmers’ net income by over 12 percent,” said Lawrence, referencing an estimate from the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan.

Private member’s bills are rarely passed, but it’s possible opposition parties could unite to approve the legislation with a minority government.

Grain Growers of Canada chair and Alberta farmer Jeff Nielsen spoke in support of the private member’s bill, alongside Lawrence and Conservative Ag Critic John Barlow in Ottawa.

“We have received broad support from opposition parties calling for immediate relief from the carbon tax for farmers after the disaster that was last year’s harvest,” said Nielsen. “We now need our federal government to step up.”

Along with exempting all fuel used for farming operations, Grain Growers is lobbying the federal government to directly reimburse farmers for carbon taxes paid on fuel used to dry the 2019 crop.

The group has launched a website — harvestfromhell.ca — as a platform for farmers to share info on carbon tax costs with government officials.

Keystone Agricultural Producers in Manitoba also applauded Lawrence’s private member’s bill.

“We’re glad to see concrete steps at the federal level that respond to the very clear message that all farmers have been sending,” said KAP in a statement. “Farmers should be exempt from paying the additional charge on fuel used for drying grain and heating and cooling barns as they are requirements of their operations, and farmers generally don’t have access to economical alternative sources of energy. We are hopeful that the Liberal government will show their support for farmers by passing this bill.”