Farmers, researchers and government policy people are in Saskatoon today for the Prairie Agriculture Carbon Summit, hosted by the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan. As APAS president Todd Lewis explains in the interview below, the intent of the conference is to drive a conversation about the role farm practices have in reducing greenhouse gas emissions… Read more »
Category: Carbon tax
New coalition against carbon tax brings message to Manitoba Legislature
Four groups concerned the Manitoba government’s carbon tax plan will “negatively impact the provincial economy, and do little to reduce Manitoba’s greenhouse gas emissions” have formed a coalition to oppose the plan. The coalition includes the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and AxeTheCarbonTax.ca. They held… Read more »
Railways anticipating $1 billion annual carbon tax bill by 2022
Canada’s freight railways say they anticipate paying over a billion dollars per year by 2022 under carbon pricing policies proposed and planned by the federal and provincial governments. “It’s difficult to get a precise figure, but we’ve tried to run some estimates based on the existing pricing structures and fiscal instruments, as well as the… Read more »
Carbon Tax Misses the Mark in Agriculture
This column is long overdue. It should have been written shortly after Trudeau announced plans for a mandatory national price on carbon emissions during harvest in early October. Or even earlier, when some provincial governments started announcing their carbon tax or cap and trade programs. For all the time that’s passed and words that have been said since… Read more »
Cherilyn Nagel Breaks Down The Western Wheat Grower Annual Meeting
The Western Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) delegates gathered in Saskatoon recently to discuss issues, policies, and provide guidance to each other. As luck would have it, Shaun Haney met with former WCWGA president Cherilyn Nagel at the recent Advancing Women in Agriculture conference. Nagel and Haney sat down to talk about the convention and some of… Read more »
Carbon Tax Hits Greenhouse Industry Hard
How easily could your farm business absorb an added $120,000 bill? That’s approximately what Jan Vanderhout, co-owner of Beverly Greenhouses, says the new Ontario carbon tax will cost him this year, or just over $6,000 per acre of greenhouse space. Vanderhout, a third-generation greenhouse grower and the chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’… Read more »
KAP Explains Its Carbon Tax Position
With federal and provincial governments rolling out carbon taxes or cap and trade programs, organizations representing farmers have been forced to choose a strategy they believe will result in the best outcome for their members. Some, such as the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, are digging in their heels and fighting any carbon tax head-on, similar to… Read more »
Ontario Ag Minister Says It’s Back to Basics in 2017: Soil, Water, & Air
Don’t be surprised to see more hydro bill relief in sight in 2017 for rural Ontarians, says the province’s minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs. In a year-end interview, Minister Jeff Leal said that although the province has started finding ways to reduce energy bills, “there’s more to do.” He said he “wouldn’t be… Read more »
The Carbon Tax, Trump, & Canadian Competitiveness: A Year-End Conversation With Ag Minister Lawrence MacAulay
Whether we’re talking about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s national carbon tax commitment, the signing of the Canada-EU trade deal, the canola agreement with China, or Canada’s primary trading partner electing Donald Trump, there was no shortage of agriculture-related news in Ottawa in 2016. This year also marked the Liberals’ first full year in power, and Lawrence MacAulay’s first… Read more »
Saskatchewan Not Backing Down on Carbon Tax Opposition — Lyle Stewart at Agribition
Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart reiterated the province’s opposition to the federal government’s carbon tax plan at Agribition this week. “It’s going to impose huge costs on agriculture if it rolls out the way it’s been heralded. It’ll have the effect of making us uncompetitive in most of our markets because our competitors are not going to… Read more »
Environment Commissioner Report Chastises Fertilizer Use; Encourages Measuring Soil Carbon
To quote Monty Python: Always look on the bright side of life. And so that’s how we’ll begin a discussion on Ontario’s Environment Commissioner‘s latest report entitled, Putting Soil Health First. There’s some great stuff in there: recognizing that our agricultural soils’ health is paramount to long-term soil productivity, that living roots and residue cover… Read more »
MOECC Opens Comments on Carbon Cap-and-Trade Regulation Proposal
The comment period is officially open on the Ontario government’s carbon Offsets Credits Regulatory Proposal. Launched this week by Ontario’s minister of the environment and climate change Glen Murray while at the United Nations’ 22nd Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Morocco, the comment period runs for 45 days. The proposed regulation allows companies participating in… Read more »
OFA Leadership Race Focuses on Policy Reviews, Energy Costs, & Competitiveness
Keith Currie, who farms at Collingwood, Ont., is currently one of two vice presidents of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). Early next week, he’ll stand in front of the membership and ask them to vote him in as the new president, following two years of leadership under Don McCabe. It’s a critical time for policy… Read more »
Breaking Down the Hot Air and Cold Truth About Carbon Emissions
Mario Tenuta has been studying greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture for longer than he’s willing to admit. Never before has he seen this much interest in the topic. “We’ve always had interest in carbon sequestration and the use of nitrogen fertilizers and manures, but now where we are called to some form of action and reductions, now… Read more »
EU Needs to Get Its Act Together — Minister MacAulay Talks Trade, Carbon Tax & Grain Transport
It’s up to the European Union to get its members on board with the Canada-EU trade agreement. Canada has done its part. That was the message from Canada’s trade and agriculture ministers on Monday. “Canada has done its job. The negotiations between Canada and the EU are finished,” says Lawrence MacAulay, minister of Agriculture and… Read more »