Senate rejects amendments to Bill C-234

Nov 08, 2023

It was a key vote in the Senate on Tuesday as the majority of Senators voted no to the proposed amendments to Bill C-234.

The amendments would have removed the provisions in the bill allowing for the exemption for barn and greenhouse heating.

The Senate voted to hold the third reading of the bill the next time it sits.

According to the Senate website, they are set to return today (Wednesday).

In a press release, late yesterday the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) Executive Director Kyle Larkin was clearly pleased with the outcome of the vote.

"The rejected amendment would have denied financial relief to tens of thousands of hardworking livestock, greenhouse growers, and farmers, placing undue pressure on their livelihoods and our food security."

Larkin emphasizes the sector's shared technical constraints and the absence of viable alternatives, saying, “Current innovations come at a high cost, and carbon pricing on essential farm practices diverts funds from these crucial investments."

He says to enhance outcomes, we must empower farmers by returning capital to them, enabling investments in operational efficiencies.

The GGC is urging Senators to pass this legislation at third reading saying that Canadian farmers have waited too long, and further delays risk withholding essential support they urgently need.

Source : Pembinavalley online

Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

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This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

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In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.