KAP President Wants Clarity On Manitoba Green Levy Deferral

Mar 31, 2020

The President of Keystone Agricultural Producers says he understands the province's move to defer a planned PST cut as well as its own carbon tax due to COVID-19.

Last week, Premier Brian Pallister explained the unexpected economic pressure brought on by the virus outbreak meant the provincial sales tax would not drop 1 point to 6 per cent on July 1 as originally planned, but would instead be delayed for one year. Additionally, Pallister said his government's $25 per tonne flat Green Levy would also be put on the back burner for the time-being.

"In light of circumstances that have prevailed here since Government had its budget plan announced, we understand what needs to be done in this province," said KAP President Bill Campbell. He noted however, that according to the Premier, the two initiatives are still a part of the province's plan for the future.

On that note, Campbell feels those in the ag industry would like some clarity as to which carbon tax, Manitoba's proposed flat levy or the rising federal tax, will be in effect by the time harvest hits especially since the federal rate will grow to $30 per tonne April 1st.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.