Senate Urged to Look at Pork Sector’s Environmental Record When Considering Bill C-234

Jul 24, 2023

The Executive Director of the Canadian Pork Council says the environmental record of Canada’s pork sector is something to be proud of and should be considered as Bill C-234 moves through the Senate. Bill C-234 seeks to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane. Organizations representing Canadian pork producers are urging the Senate to ratify Bill C-234, a private members bill that would exempt farmers from the carbon tax on natural gas used for heating barns and drying grain. Canadian Pork Council Executive Director Stephen Heckbert says pork producers have a great story to tell in terms of the environmental impact of Canada’s pork sector.

Quote-Stephen Heckbert-Canadian Pork Council:

You’re not really going to mitigate environmental impact just by making things more expensive. What you really want to focus on is ensuring that we help and reward, particularly farmers, who have done I will say and I think pork producers can be very proud of the work they’ve done on trying to mitigate their environmental impact.

It’s so vital for the government to look at the whole suite of environment. Carbon is only one part of the issue. Water usage is another part of the issue, ensuring proper land usage and making sure we’re protecting farms. From that perspective it’s vital that we do what we can, as C-234 is going to mitigate some of the impact of the carbon tax. But we really need a government policy that looks at the overall environmental impact of industry and making sure that Canadians understand what the true environment cost is. One of the stories we’re going to try and tell a little bit better in future is just how progressive pork producers of Canada have been on the environmental file.

I think that’s something we haven’t taken enough pride in. We’ve been on the defensive and I don’t think we needed to be.

I think we have a great story to tell in terms of environmental impact of Canada’s pork industry. We’re going to work hard to try to get and tell more about that story and take some pride in the things that we’ve done from an environmental perspective in recent years and will continue to do.

Heckbert urges the Senate to move Bill C-234 forward as is and as quickly as possible.

Source : Swine Web

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.