Local farmers share a common Christmas wish, recognition for becoming net zero carbon | The Canadian News

Farmers in Saskatchewan and across Western Canada share a common Christmas wish: to be recognized for achieving zero carbon emissions.

According to the Western Canada Wheat Producers Association, grain producers pay tens of thousands of dollars in carbon taxes. However, the federal carbon tax credit results in less than 25 percent of the costs returned.

With the costs of carbon taxes rising annually, they say, food security is at risk. This is in addition to the fact that Canada’s agricultural sector loses its ability to compete with other economic sectors that face less or no carbon taxes.

The association says that grain producers are among the most efficient and environmentally friendly in the world.

It is becoming a real problem at the farm gate, says the president of the association.

The federal government has said it will raise the cost of the carbon tax to $ 170 per ton in 2030. It currently stands at $ 40 per ton.

Association president Gunter Jochum says the cost continues to rise for farmers, with additional amounts each year.

“Just on my farm (near Winnipeg) at $ 50,000 to $ 40,000 a ton, that’s about $ 40,000 a year in additional costs,” Jochum said.

Jochum adds that farmers cannot regulate that or recoup a portion by distributing it to consumers, similar to truckers.

The association says the activist-driven federal government has to take care of all Canadians, including grain farmers.

The virtue signage does not benefit local farmers, he added.

Previously, the federal government had discussed ways to help farmers with the high costs of carbon taxes.

“Bill C-206 would have provided cost relief for farmers and ranchers who are already struggling with the additional costs of the carbon tax, as well as a difficult year due to the drought,” Vice President Ian Boxall said Tuesday. in a statement to Global News. .

“Producers are at the mercy of market prices and cannot transfer the additional costs of the carbon tax along the supply chain, which means that all those additional costs are eliminated from the bottom line of their farms and of the local economies “.

A private member’s bill that would have exempted all agricultural fuels from carbon tax officially died with the call for federal elections.

If passed, Bill C-206 would also have exempted the carbon tax on natural gas and propane used for grain drying.

At the time, Conservative MP Philip Lawrence of Ontario said the carbon tax creates undue hardship for farmers facing global trade wars and climate uncertainty.

Liberals opposed the bill, stating at the time that it did not provide any relief to farmers as it did not add grain drying as an eligible agricultural activity.

In June, the Trudeau government announced $ 50 million for farmers to purchase more fuel-efficient grain dryers.

“We all know that they will not eliminate the carbon tax, that would help a lot, but at the moment it is an illusion,” said Jochum.

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