The following letter was sent sent to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on behalf of the Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council. A copy of the letter was also sent to Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Dear Minister Freeland,
On behalf of the Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council (OACC), a coalition of 27 non-supply managed commodity organizations representing over $12 billion in annual farmgate sales, I want to bring to your attention some of the unintended but serious consequences of tariffs placed on fertilizer imports.
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Over the last year, Canadians have observed high food inflation in part due to additional costs on food inputs such as fertilizer tariffs. Ontario farmers have had a highly disproportionate cost added to their businesses due to the fertilizer tariffs. Ontario farmers compete with both the European Union and the United States, both of which do not have tariffs on their crop fertilizers. This puts our farmers at a price and production cost disadvantage. It should also be noted that there are no restrictions on fertilizer shipments, from tariffed countries, that are routed indirectly through the United States to Canada. These artificial detours in fertilizer shipments also result in an increased transportation-related costs to Ontario and Canadian farmers and a negative environmental impact due to additional transportation.
Ontario farmers have done everything they can to produce affordable food that will help Canada and the world meet their growing needs. The atrocity of the Russian invasion of Ukraine had an unparalleled impact on the world’s grain supply, but the tariffs have only resulted in increased costs to Ontario farmers.
As some of our members continue to ask for the return of fertilizer tariff monies collected to their farmers, we ask that the government follow the United Nations Secretary General’s recommendation that all countries remove punitive tariffs on fertilizers and crop inputs. It is all too evident that these tariffs only add to the cost burden of Canadian farmers and to the price of food and restrict the flow of food and food aid to the most vulnerable countries.
We ask that you consider our request above and contact our office if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Mike Chromczak, OACC Chairperson
The OACC consists of the following commodity groups:
Beef Farmers of Ontario
Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc.
Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario
Grain Farmers of Ontario
Grape Growers of Ontario
Landscape Ontario Mushrooms Canada
Ontario Apple Growers
Ontario Asparagus Growers Marketing Board
Ontario Bean Growers
Ontario Beekeepers’ Association
Ontario Canola Growers’ Association
Ontario Flue Cured Tobacco Growers’ Marketing Board
Ontario Fresh Grape Growers of Ontario
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
Ontario Ginseng Growers Association
Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association
Ontario Pork
Ontario Potato Board
Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers
Ontario Rabbit
Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency
Ontario Sugarbeet Growers Association
Ontario Tender Fruit Producers’ Marketing Board
Seed Corn Growers of Ontario
Veal Farmers of Ontario
Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
