Ag in the House: April 15 – 19

Apr 22, 2024

Minister MacAulay responded to a question from Conservative MP Philip Lawrence

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Conservative MP Philip Lawrence asked the government on April 15 if it would pass Bill C-234 in its original form to lower the price of food.

Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay answered, citing his experiences as a farmer, and witnessing the effects of climate change.

“Being a farmer, I am fully aware that farmers are on the front line of climate change,” the minister said. “They see the devastating impacts of climate change in this country and the destruction of barns, killing cattle.”

The minister also cited the price on pollution and the Canada carbon rebate.

In his follow-up, Lawrence pressed on about Bill C-234 and asked the government to send a message to people lining up at food banks.

Steve MacKinnon, the government House leader, responded.

He told the House that Bill C-234 is in the Conservatives hands and they can bring the bill to a floor vote.

Also on April 15, Damien Kurek, the Conservative MP for Battle River-Crowfoot, asked about Bill C-234.

He cited Vermeer’s Dairy near Camrose, which estimates will be paying $1,500 per month in additional carbon taxes by 2030.

Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson fielded the question.

He told the House that 300 economists across the country agree that a price on pollution is the best way to reduce carbon emissions and address affordability.

When Rachel Thomas, the Conservative MP for Lethbridge asked about removing the carbon tax on farmers and passing Bill C-234, Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault responded.

He told the house that 97 per cent of “farm liquids” are exempt from the price on pollution, and that Tyler McCann from The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute said there’s no relation between the price of food and the carbon tax.

Richard Lehoux, the Conservative MP for Beauce, said exempting farmers from the carbon tax is “the fastest way to make food more affordable and to keep our farmers in business,” before asking if the government would pass Bill C-234 in the April 16 budget.

Environment Minister Steven Guillbeault answered Lehoux.

The minister told the House that farmers aren’t talking to him about the carbon tax.

“They are talking to me about how the impacts of climate change are costing the agricultural industry hundreds of millions of dollars across the country,” he said.

Marie-Claude Bibeau, the former ag minister and current minister of national revenue, answered a Bill C-234 follow up from Lehoux.

Bibeau reminded the House that Quebec has a carbon exchange program. And that the government’s approach is to provide incentives to improve farming practices.

During question period on April 16, Lianne Rood, the Conservative MP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, wanted to know if the federal budget would include Bill C-234’s passage.

Gudie Hutchings, the minister of rural economic development, provided the answer, reminding the House that rural communities receive more in top-ups.

Warren Steinley, the Conservative MP for Regina-Lewvan, also asked about Bill C-234 and providing farmers with carbon tax relief.

Minister Wilkinson reminded the House that many Conservatives “ran on a platform that included a price on pollution. That is the height of hypocrisy,” he said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Trudeau sparred over the carbon tax in general on April 17, but nothing related to farmers or agriculture.

On April 18, John Barlow, the Conservative MP for Foothills and the shadow ag minister, told the House he’s received letters from “tens of thousands of farm families from right across the country,” saying Bill C-234 needs to be passed to ensure sustainable food production in Canada.

Minister MacAulay responded by saying the budget is good for farmers in part because it enhances the Livestock Tax Deferral Program.

When Barlow followed up about passing Bill C-234, Minister MacAulay pointed at previous Conservative actions related to ag.

“Quite simply, when they were in power, they slashed half a billion dollars from agriculture and agri-food,” he said. “They slashed $200 million from the business risk management program. All of these things are so important when agriculture has a downturn. We have reinstated the funds, and we will continue to support our farmers and ranchers right across the country.”

On April 19, Mr. Lehoux told the House that farmers are asked to fill pantries while Bill C-234 prevents them from doing so, and asked the Liberals to pass the bill.

Francis Drouin, the parliamentary secretary to Minister MacAulay, answered by saying Lehoux’s Conservative colleagues can bring the bill to a vote whenever they like.

Video: The Investment Opportunities of Industrial Hemp

The fledgling U.S. hemp industry is decades behind countries like Canada, France and China, but according to impact investor and this week’s podcast guest, Pierre Berard, it could flourish into a $2.2 billion industry by 2030 and create thousands of jobs.

To reach its potential, what the hemp industry needs most right now, Berard said, is capital investment.

Last month, Berard published a report titled “Seeing the U.S. Industrial Hemp Opportunity — A Pioneering Venture for Investors and Corporations Driven by Environmental, Social and Financial Concerns” in which he lays out the case for investment.

It’s as if Berard, with this report, is waving a giant flag, trying to attract the eyes of investors, saying, “Look over here. Look at all this opportunity.”

Berard likens the burgeoning American hemp industry to a developing country.

“There is no capital. People don’t want to finance. This is too risky. And I was like, OK, this sounds like something for me,” he said.

As an impact investor who manages funds specializing in agro-processing companies, Berard now has his sights set on the U.S. hemp industry, which he believes has great economic value as well as social and environmental benefits.

He spent many years developing investment in the agriculture infrastructure of developing countries in Latin America and Africa, and said the hemp industry feels similar.

“It is very nascent and it is a very fragmented sector. You have pioneers and trailblazers inventing or reinventing the field after 80 years of prohibition,” he said. “So I feel very familiar with this context.”

On this week’s hemp podcast, Berard talks about the report and the opportunities available to investors in the feed, fiber and food sectors of the hemp industry.

Building an industry around an agricultural commodity takes time, he said. According to the report, “The soybean industry took about 50 years to become firmly established, from the first USDA imports in 1898 to the U.S. being the top worldwide producer in the 1950s.”

Berard has a plan to accelerate the growth of the hemp industry and sees a four-pillar approach to attract investment.

First, he said, the foundation of the industry is the relationship between farmers and processors at the local level.

Second, he said the industry needs what he calls a “federating body” that will represent it, foster markets and innovations, and reduce risk for its members and investors.

The third pillar is “collaboration with corporations that aim to secure or diversify their supply chains with sustainable products and enhance their ESG credentials. This will be key to funding the industry and creating markets,” he said.

The fourth pillar is investment. Lots of it. Over $1.6 billion over seven years. This money will come from government, corporations, individual investors, and philanthropic donors.

The 75-page report goes into detail about the hemp industry, its environmental and social impact, and the opportunities available to investors.

Read the report here: Seeing the U.S. Industrial Hemp Opportunity

Also on this episode, we check in with hemp and bison farmer Herb Grove from Brush Mountain Bison in Centre County, PA, where he grew 50 acres of hemp grain. We’ll hear about harvest and dry down and crushing the seed for oil and cake.