Saskatchewan and Alberta disappointed with Ottawa's fertilizer emissions reduction target

Jul 26, 2022

The fertilizer emissions reduction was not even a topic on the agenda for the annual Federal, Provincial and Territorial Agriculture Minister meetings until the provinces pushed to discuss the topic.

During the discussion they learned that the target is already set.

Minister Marit and Minister Horner putting out a press release following the wrap up of the FTP expressing their profound disappointment with the Federal Government's fertilizer emissions reduction target.

According to the press release..."The commitment to future consultations are only to determine how to meet the target that Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Bibeau have already unilaterally imposed on this industry, not to consult on what is achievable or attainable."

Saskatchewan's Agriculture Minister David Marit is concerned with this arbitrary goal.

"The Trudeau government has apparently moved on from their attack on the oil and gas industry and set their sights on Saskatchewan farmers."

Alberta's Minister of Agriculture Nate Horner says the world is looking for Canada to increase production and be a solution to global food shortages.

"The Federal government needs to display that they understand this. They owe it to our producers."

He notes this has been the most expensive crop anyone has put in, following a very difficult year on the prairies.

In the release they note that Western Canadian producers base fertilizer inputs on realistic targets based on moisture availability.

"Producers are conservative in the use of fertilizer inputs and don't add more than what is needed. They alone simply cannot shoulder the impact of this shortsighted policy."

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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.