Ontario bean growers say 35 per cent tariff on Russian fertilizer will hurt consumers
The beans in Jamie Payton’s field look fantastic, but he can’t help but feel sour about this growing season, thanks to a recent decision by the federal government.
“If they simply reverse this decision, and rescind it, I think a lot of people would have more respect for the federal government, realizing we all make mistakes,” says Payton, a St. Marys area bean producer, and vice-chair of the Ontario Bean Growers.
A 35 per cent tariff placed on Russian-made fertilizer by the federal government, has caught the ire of Ontario crop farmers. They understand the logic of penalizing Putin’s regime for his war on Ukraine, but say placing this tariff on this fertilizer doesn’t impact Russia at all, it only hurts Ontario farmers and consumers.
“This isn’t like we’re buying Russian fertilizer after they went to war with Ukraine. This was a deal that was already done. The ink was dry. Putin had his money. It was just a matter of waiting for the boats to load,” says Chair of the Ontario Bean Growers, David Woods.
Woods says the 35 per cent tariff on fertilizer that’s largely already on Ontario fields growing Ontario beans, wheat, corn and canola will ultimately lead to higher food prices.
“It’s a $60 million tax that’s going to filter down to the consumers, at the end of the day,” says Woods.
Ontario Bean Growers, David Woods, Ryan Koeslag, and Jamie Payton discussa 35 per cent fertilizer tariff in a bean field near St. Marys, Ont. on July 29, 2022. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
Canada is the only G7 nation that hasn’t exempted fertilizer from their Russian sanctions. Canada, also just came forward with a plan to force Canadian farmers to cut fertilizer use by 30 per cent by 2030, in order to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
“The U.S has totally exempted their producers from this, so it’s very frustrating because how do we now compete, globally,” says Payton.
The Ontario Bean Growers say there isn’t enough cattle manure in the province to fertilize their crops, so the fertilizer is necessary, and Russia is the world’s largest producer of it.
“Why not make it here, and then we’re isolated from these kinds of things in the future,” suggests Woods, who would like to see the fertilizer tariff money used to fund Canadian fertilizer plants.
When Payton’s beans come off the field this fall, they’ll likely be some of the most expensive beans this field has ever produced, with a limited export market. Woods says the Canadian government’s 35 per cent fertilizer tariff will be entirely to blame.
“It’s a retroactive tariff, that does no good to help, anyone,” says Woods.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.