Western Canadian farm organizations are asking senators to pass a bill before the summer break to exempt farmers from the carbon tax.. Farm Tractor Fertilizer .The Alberta Federation of Agriculture, Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), and Keystone Agricultural Producers (FAP) want Bill C-234 to pass this month..This bill exempts propane and natural gas used for drying grain and heating barns from carbon taxes. It was introduced by Conservative MP Ben Lobb (Huron-Bruce, ON) in the House of Commons..“We understand that senators are looking forward to enjoying the summer season,” said Ian Boxall, president of APAS, in a joint statement. .“Prairie farmers want to enjoy theirs by knowing this bill is passed so they can look forward to the fall harvest. If we experience a wet harvest like 2019, I have real concerns about the added burden farms across Saskatchewan and the prairies will be forced to absorb. This bill needs to be passed by the Senate before June 30.”.The Agriculture Carbon Alliance also urges senators to pass the bill to “unlock the full potential of our agriculture sector.”.Senators finished the second reading of the bill on June 13 and it went to the Senate Agriculture and Forestry committee. .If the bill is not approved before Parliament adjourns for the summer, senators will have to wait until the fall sitting begins to continue working on Bill C-234..The impact of the carbon tax on grain drying differs depending on the province. According to a 2019 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada report, farmers in Saskatchewan paid $774 per farm (equivalent to 51 cents per acre) in carbon pricing for grain drying. In Alberta, the cost was $210 per farm or 16 cents per acre. KAP estimated Manitoba farmers paid approximately $1.7 million in carbon taxes in 2019..According to Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University, an advocate for farmers estimated that by 2030, when the carbon tax will reach $170 per tonne, a 5,000 acres farm could face over $150,000 in additional taxes.
