Grain farmer concerns on land use and planning gained traction against ongoing fertilizer pricing and carbon tax issues. Brendan Byrne, Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) chair, and CEO Crosby Devitt fielded questions on what measures the organization was taking toward agricultural land protection and intensification planning to address increasing housing pressure during the organization’s annual […] Read more
Tag Archives carbon tax — page 4
GFO members bring land planning and protection concerns to annual meeting
Fertilizer and carbon tax relief remain ongoing issues
Carbon exemption bill nearing close of Senate deliberations
Farm groups hoped to see Bill C-234 made law in time for harvest
A bill to exempt propane and natural gas from the carbon price when used for grain drying and barn heating was nearing the end of its winding road through the Senate after an Oct. 5 meeting. Thursday morning the Senate’s committee on agriculture and forestry heard final witnesses speak on Bill C-234, which would amend […] Read more
Adjournments put off ag bills to September at earliest
Farm fuel, supply management, produce trust bills on hold
Federal private members’ bills with potential significant weight for Canada’s grain, livestock, dairy, poultry, egg, fruit and vegetable producers are now on hold until mid-September at least. Members of the House of Commons voted June 21 to adjourn until Sept. 18, while the Senate did likewise June 22, to return Sept. 19. While the two […] Read more
Commercial grain elevators lobby for Bill C-234 inclusion
Private member’s bill offers carbon tax exemption for on-farm use of propane and natural gas
There is quiet optimism across Canada’s agriculture industry as Bill C-234 begins review by the Senate. The bill is seen as potentially providing carbon pricing relief for a vast number of farmers but many Ontario grain farmers will shoulder the burden of exclusion. “People think that because we’re supporting the bill, that GFO put the […] Read more
Carbon price exemption for farm gas clears Commons
Bill C-234 next headed to Senate
Legislative amendments that would exempt farmers’ eligible purchases of natural gas and propane from federal carbon pricing are now en route to Canada’s Senate. Bill C-234, a private member’s bill sponsored by Ben Lobb, the Conservative MP for the southern Ontario riding of Huron-Bruce, passed third reading for adoption in the House of Commons on […] Read more
Farm scale viability of fossil fuel alternatives questioned
Testimony continues on whether farmers should be exempt from carbon pricing on more fuels
Glacier FarmMedia – The chief executive officer of the Agri-Food Innovation Council (AIC) has said the technology to replace fossil fuels with alternative sources isn’t yet scalable. Serge Buy told the standing committee on agriculture recently that examples of farmers using biomass to dry grain are just that, and only larger farms with bigger, healthier […] Read more
New farm fuel carbon tax rule to return to Commons
Further carbon pricing exemptions clear ag committee, with sunset clause added
A bill that would exempt more farm fuels from Canada’s federal carbon pricing scheme has cleared the Commons’ ag committee and returned to the House of Commons to seek a third and final vote. C-234, a private member’s bill sponsored by southwestern Ontario Conservative MP Ben Lobb, appeared before the Commons’ standing committee on agriculture […] Read more
Carbon price exemptions preferred over rebates, committee hears
Amendments to federal legislation that would exempt fuel used to dry grain and heat barns return to ag committee
Glacier FarmMedia – Carbon price exemptions, rather than rebates, would help farmers invest in more energy-efficient and sustainable practices, witnesses told the standing committee on agriculture. The committee has resumed its study of Bill C-234, which would amend federal legislation to exempt propane and natural gas from carbon pricing if used to dry grain or […] Read more
Carbon tax rebates not equal to costs
Government bill to reimburse carbon taxes to farmers see some get more, some less than what they paid
Glacier FarmMedia – The average rebate farmers can expect on the carbon tax they paid to dry grain is $820 per farm, according to a federal finance official. Bill C-8, the federal government’s answer to calls for natural gas and propane used to dry grain to be exempt from carbon pricing, passed last month. Why […] Read more
Liberals’ rebate bill expected to win legislative carbon tax race
Conservative bill aims to exempt natural gas and propane instead
Glacier FarmMedia – A private member’s bill introduced Feb. 7 to exempt more farm fuels from the carbon tax likely won’t pass before a government bill that will provide rebates. Ben Lobb, Conservative MP for Huron-Bruce, introduced C-234, calling it “the fairness for farmers act.” It would eliminate the carbon tax on natural gas and […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
