Central Alberta farmer, Chamber of Commerce bemoan Senate foot-dragging on Bill C-234

Nov 24, 2023

The Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce is echoing a national call for the Canadian Senate to get on with passing a Conservative bill that would give farmers crucial financial relief.

Bill C-234: An Act to Amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, would expand the definition of eligible farming machinery and extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane.

In other words, farmers would not have to pay the federal carbon tax in order to use their grain dryers, saving them an estimated $1 billion over the next 10 years, according to the bill’s sponsor, Ontario MP Ben Lobb.

C-234 was passed by the House of Commons, mainly with the support of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois, in March this year. Three Liberals, all from the Maritimes, were part of the 176 overall who were in favour. One independent and 145 Liberal MPs voted against it.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.