PERTH COUNTY, ONT. -- Grain farmers across Canada are looking for a break in the carbon tax after a wet and frustrating 2019 growing season.
Josh Boersen farms near Stratford. He says the federal carbon tax has cost him approximately $1,900/month in crop drying costs alone.
“An exemption should have been part of the initial carbon tax rollout,” he says.
Grain Growers of Canada chair Jeff Nielsen says, "The 2019 harvest season has put undue burdens on farmers’ livelihoods and every part of the country has been hit hard."
He adds that, “Beyond just the crop left in the field, farmers have faced major grain drying expenses, courtesy of the federal carbon tax, to ensure at least some crops make it to market.”
Grain growers are asking the federal government for an exemption to carbon tax, this year and moving forward.
Unlike other industries, they say, farmers can’t pass the increased carbon tax costs further up the supply chain. They’re left absorbing the full cost.
Boersen says it’s costing him about $5/acre extra, which will move up to $10/acre, as the carbon tax increases over the coming years.
