Manitoba Ag Days may mark a beginning to the agriculture year ahead, but the hangover of 2019 is still firmly in place for the province’s farmers. A rough harvest is being made worse by the new carbon tax added to grain drying fuel bills, canola from two main exporters (one Winnipeg-based) is still blocked from… Read More
By the time harvest ends this season, the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) estimate Manitoba producers will have paid almost $1.7 million in carbon tax related to the cost of drying the 2019 corn crop. “We are firm in our position that there needs to be an exemption for farmers under the carbon tax framework for… Read More
Devin Dreeshan, Alberta’s newest Agriculture and Forestry minister and representative for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, has started the role at a time when not only are farmers busy in the fields, but the forest fire season is also in full swing. Dreeshan was recently featured on RealAg Radio to talk about what’s front and centre for his… Read More
Premier Jason Kenney is going through with his plan to eliminate the carbon tax. On May 22, the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 1, An Act to Repeal the Carbon Tax, and if passed, the repeal will come into force at 12:01 a.m. on May 30, 2019. “Promise made, promise kept,” the premier said in… Read More
Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal ruled Friday afternoon, the federal carbon tax imposed on the province is constitutionally sound and falls within the legislative authority of Parliament. The court ruled 3-2 in favour of the federal government. The ruling was dissented by Justices Ralph Ottenbreit and Neal Caldwell, with the argument that Part 1 of the… Read More
Trucks from across the Prairies rallied in support of getting rid of the carbon tax on Thursday. More than 860 trucks converged on Regina and came from all corners of Saskatchewan as well as from Alberta and Manitoba. The purpose of the event was to let Ottawa know farmers and those in the oil industry… Read More
When it comes to addressing climate change, there is no shortage of money changing hands. Here in Canada, the federal government tacked on a $20/tonne carbon price for Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick after these provinces failed to meet Ottawa’s targets on carbon pricing. Without a “price on pollution” the federal backstop has become… Read More
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister confirmed Wednesday that his province will be taking legal action against the federal government and its imposition of the carbon tax. “Last year, our government received legal advice the federal government has the constitutional power to impose a carbon tax, but only on provinces that do not implement plans of their… Read More
Farm groups such as the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) have lobbied the government this past month to get cardlock fuel included in the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA) exemption and it looks like they’re close to the finish line. In the release of the federal budget, the government announced it’s looking into… Read More
A loophole discovered by the president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) could be a headache to farmers come April 1. Todd Lewis was recently in Ottawa at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual general meeting where he learned that not all farm fuel will be exempted for producers. “It is our understanding that farm… Read More
Speakers from all over the country and the world are brought to FarmTech, and for one of this year’s keynote speakers, they didn’t have to go far to find someone great to talk about politics. Tasha Kheiriddin, a Global News Radio host and political pundit from Toronto, Ont., says she was quite impressed with what… Read More
It’s not often that we here at RealAgriculture have a chance to spend some quality time one-on-one with mainstream media pundits. But at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show this week, news lead Jessika Guse managed to wrangle radio host John Gormley to sit down with RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney to talk provincial politics,… Read More
There are many challenges that have the potential to dash the business plans and hopes of farmers —from trade agreements, to climate change, and primary risks. Strong government policy is part of the solution. Helping shape effective policy will be one of Dr. Alan Ker’s goals as he assumes the newly-created Research Chair in Agriculture… Read More
In a move designed to “streamline decision making and empower the advocacy committees to build consensus and develop policy positions,” the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) has revamped its structure from a president, vice-president, and executive committee to a chair, vice-chair, and board member organization. Jeff Nielsen, of the Alberta Barley Commission, was elected chair,… Read More
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) has returning faces along with some new ones to its board of directors following its annual general meeting. Along with changes to leadership, the farm group also passed a number of resolutions. At its annual general meeting, current president, Todd Lewis, was elected again to the position for… Read More