Wheat Growers Support Saskatchewan Government Action Against a Federally Imposed Carbon Tax

Feb 19, 2019

Calgary, AB — The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association supports the action taken by the Province of Saskatchewan, and others, to oppose the imposition of a carbon tax by the federal government.

“Farmers will fully bear the cost of this tax, shrinking our margins even further. We have no way to pass these costs on to end users. Farmers have been leaders with many environmentally friendly practices – no-till planting, fewer crop inputs, better water management and fuel-efficient equipment are all steps that we have implemented for years,” stated Levi Wood, President.

The WCWGA believes that the coalition opposing the federal carbon tax is the right and necessary step. Saskatchewan grain is sold into the global market and the imposition of a carbon tax makes our grain less competitive. A federal carbon tax will hurt farmers.

“The Saskatchewan government has a ‘Made in Saskatchewan Climate Change Strategy’ that our members are in favour of. The federal government should not impose their tax on the farming industry. Further, the federal plan does not acknowledge the carbon sequestering and other steps that the agriculture community has already undertaken,” said Jim Wickett, Chair.

Source : Western Canadian Wheat Growers

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?