The President of Keystone Agricultural Producers is applauding the Premier's of Manitoba's commitment to ensure a provincial carbon pricing system will not hinder economic recovery.
In September the federal government announced that a carbon pricing system must be in place in all provinces by the end of 2018.
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has stated a carbon tax must not unduly impact any sector of our economy because our economy needs to be rebuilt and that that any impact must be offset by revenues going back into economic activities that build our province or by directly reducing tax.
KAP President Dan Mazier agrees a carbon pricing system must consider the competitive position of farmers.
Dan Mazier-Keystone Agricultural Producers:
We have no ability to get that tax back out of the system.
We're price takers and it's what ever the market is offering.
Manitoba exports probably 70 percent of their products and, if we're competing against a nation or another place that doesn't have a carbon tax, that is an extra cost that's being borne by our agriculture community that we couldn't compete against so it basically makes us uncompetitive.
That's what a bad system could do.
Source : Farmscape