Calls from Saskatchewan’s agricultural producers are ringing out after a bill that removed barn heating and cooling fuel from a list that exempts farm activities from carbon pricing was amended.
Bill C-234, “An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act,” was amended in the wake of the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry’s review last week. The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan is calling for the bill, which is in its third reading, to be reinstated in its original form.
The Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act built a legal framework to make sure that pricing for greenhouse gas emissions was applied across Canada, but Bill C-234 was brought forward to build out some of the exemptions around fuel used for farming; barn heating and cooling fuel originally being included in the Bill.
The Bill passed in the House of Commons in March 2023 and is before the Senate.
“This Bill is intended to correct (an) oversight (regarding) carbon pricing,” says Ian Boxall, APAS president.
“The amendment suggests that some farms are less important in our industry, in their contribution to our food security, and in helping to address rising food prices.”
APAS said barn heating is essential to animal health, especially during winter.
“Livestock producers are facing those costs (of) the carbon tax, and they’re substantial when it comes down to winter in Saskatchewan,” Boxall said.
He added this would result in tens of thousands of dollars a year being added to producer costs if the amendment remains in place.
APAS said that effective environmental policy needs to strike a balance between emissions reduction and supports for the industry.
“The concerns regarding greenhouse gas emissions must be weighed against the broader social, economic, and environmental impacts of specific regulations. In the case of Bill C-234, maintaining the exemption for barn heating stands as a rational policy decision that accommodates the agricultural industry’s distinctive requirements,” APAS added.
Senator David Wells was the Senate sponsor for the original Bill and explained that the Bill is at the report stage, saying it went to the agriculture committee at second reading where it was studied, noting the one amendment was made there.
“It was a frivolous amendment that was designed to kill the Bill,” Wells claims.
He says if this becomes an amended Bill it will go back to the House of Commons, saying there’s a potential for the Bill to be killed there.
Wells said they are trying to have the amendment within the report overturned at the report stage, voting down the report and having the Bill come to the third reading unamended.
Global News received a statement from the federal government:
“The Government of Canada understands the unique challenges faced by the agriculture sector and has designed the carbon pricing system to reflect these challenges. This is why greenhouse gas emissions from livestock and crop production are not included in the pollution pricing system.”
The federal government said carbon pricing is the most efficient way to reduce emissions and drive innovation in the economy, but noted that some net-zero technology isn’t widely available to some farms.