Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) says it's pleased with last week's announcement that fuel used on farms will be exempt from a carbon tax in the provincial government’s Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan.
The exemption was one of the key points in MBP’s Carbon Pricing Policy, which was released in March.
“As Premier Pallister has noted, and as we have stressed for months, agricultural producers are pure price takers,” said MBP President Ben Fox.. “We do not have the ability to pass along any price increases or carbon taxes and are vulnerable to having other industries pass those costs down to the farm. Today’s announcement prevents a piling on of costs that would stretch our already slim margins into losses.”
Fox adds that the provincial government’s decision not to target agricultural emissions for direct sector reductions via the carbon price or other elements of the plan is also important.
The group says it will study the plan to see what other aspects might impact the industry, such as the possible creation of a Centre for Sustainable Agriculture that could do research related to adaptation and resilience, as well as ways to reduce emissions from agricultural production
Source : Steinbachonline