The General Manager of Alberta Pork suggests, until alternative sources of energy to replace fossil fuels can be developed, it makes sense to eliminate the carbon tax from food production.
Bill C-234, a private member's bill that will create specific exemptions for farmers to Canada's carbon pricing scheme, has been passed in the House of Commons and is now awaiting Senate approval.
Darcy Fitzgerald, the General Manager of Alberta Pork says, like most Canadians our farms have been experiencing inflationary costs on just about everything and, when we look at the overall cost of production, it's already been extremely high this last two years.
Quote-Darcy Fitzgerald-Alberta Pork:
When we add on that extra burden of a carbon tax onto a fuel that we have no choice but to use there really isn't anything that's available for us to do the same job as there is with burning natural gas in Alberta.
I think producers are getting more efficient all the time but the challenge is still facing that unnecessary tax burden.Currently at 65 and within the next seven years to go 170 dollars, that's a huge costs for our producers so, right off the bat, that's a great gain for them if the exemption can be put into place.
At the same time too, when we look at this bill, I think it kind of levels the playing field when we look at government giving exemptions to farm fuel for tractors, combines, that type of thing, giving exemptions for natural gas to heat greenhouses and then to leave the tax in place to heat buildings and to dry grain.
So, the profitability really will be improved for producers.
Fitzgerald says the quicker the Senate can approve the bill, the quicker the exemption can be put into place ready for the fall grain drying season and the colder months ahead.
Source : Farmscape.ca