Tax credit available to Alta. canola farmers

Feb 14, 2022

Farmers may qualify for a Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax credit

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Some Alberta canola producers may be eligible for a tax credit related to check off dollars.

Farmers who didn’t request a refund of their check-off from the Alberta Canola Producers Commission qualify for a Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit for the 2021 year.

The tax program “uses tax incentives to encourage Canadian businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to conduct research and development in Canada,” the program’s website says.

For 2021, the tax credit rate for canola growers in Alberta is 14.59 per cent.

This means if a producer paid $1,000 in check-off to the organization, $145.90 is eligible to earn the tax credit.

Alberta Canola has multiple research projects on the go with some slated to finish this year.

One project, for example, is studying clubroot inoculum management for sustainable canola production.

The study will help determine the spore population levels that are safe for the use of clubroot-resistant cultivars and develop a knowledge-based resistance development strategy.

Producers are helping further these kinds of research projects and should receive some of that investment back when possible, said John Mayko, chair of Alberta Canola’s research committee.

“The tax credit is an additional benefit for growers who contribute check-off on canola”, he said in a statement. “Farmers are funding research looking for ways to better grow canola. The SR&ED tax credit allows farmers to capture some of that investment back at tax time.”

Farmers who contribute check-off funding to other Alberta ag organizations will be eligible for tax credits too.

This includes the Alberta Wheat Commission, Alberta Pulse Growers, Prairie Oat Growers – Alberta and Alberta Barley.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.