Parliament Hill, in Ottawa – Ontario, Canada. Photo: Ulysse Pixel

Farm groups criticize capital gains inclusion rate change

Ten national organizations say several tax-related changes in the 2024 federal budget will impact farmers 

In a May 27 letter to finance minister Chrystia Freeland, agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay and national revenue minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, 10 signatories said they are concerned about the capital gains inclusion rate, the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and the Canadian Entrepreneurs’ Incentive (CEI), which were all announced in April.

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Federal budget draws mixed reaction from Canadian ag groups

Livestock tax deferral, capital gains exemption praised; overall lack of investment in agriculture noted

The 2024 federal budget, released Tuesday afternoon has drawn mixed reactions from ag groups across Canada. While some have praised aspects of the plan, others have condemned the lack of attention paid to agriculture and farmers.   

Parliament Hill, in Ottawa – Ontario, Canada. Photo: Ulysse Pixel

Federal budget promises lower costs, interest relief for farmers

Budget 2024 will see approximately $52 billion spent over five years

The 2024 federal budget promises several benefits for Canadian farmers, but the Canadian Federation of Agriculture said it was disappointed to see a lack of investment in Canadian agriculture. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland made little mention of agriculture in her speech following the tabling of the budget on Tuesday, though she touched on issues like […] Read more



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Ottawa lines up with farmers on right-to-repair

Feds to call for owners to be able to repair their own equipment

The federal government says it’s siding with Canadian farmers on the right-to-repair debate. An announcement this week from the federal government called for an adjustment to the Competition Act that would prevent manufacturers from refusing to provide the means of device and product repair in an “anti-competitive manner.” That declaration came in the government’s 2023 […] Read more

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Rail interswitching expansion pilot clears Parliament

Grain handlers to press for plan to be made permanent

Last week’s passage of the 2023 federal budget starts a 90-day countdown toward an 18-month test of expanded interswitching on railways in the three Prairie provinces. Bill C-47, the government’s budget implementation bill — which was first read April 20 in the House of Commons and got third reading in the Senate and royal assent […] Read more

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Feds lock in higher interest-free portion on cash advances

Budget boost in effect as of Monday

A further temporary increase to the interest-free chunk of cash advances available to Canadian farmers, as telegraphed in March’s federal budget, has now gone live. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau confirmed Wednesday that the interest-free limit under the Advance Payments Program (APP) for the 2023 program year is now $350,000, effective Monday (May 8). The regulatory […] Read more


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Go bigger on interswitching pilot, grain groups urge Ottawa

Railways say the measure creates inefficiencies; farm groups say the opposite is true

Farm groups from across the country are asking producers to lobby federal ministers and MPs and urge them to super-size a government proposal for what’s called ‘extended interswitching.’ The measure, part of this spring’s federal budget, essentially gives grain shippers a choice in which railway they deal with (as long as the competitor’s line is […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Railways push back on feds’ proposed interswitching revival

Railways also oppose ban on replacement workers

With Easter less than two weeks away, an Easter egg in the federal government’s 2023 budget calls for a new pilot program to again provide Prairie grain shippers with extended interswitching. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s budget, released Tuesday, laid out a list of investments to “further strengthen Canada’s transportation systems and supply chain infrastructure.” A […] Read more