The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) supports Bill C-234 and is pleased the bill is proceeding to third reading in its original form. Like the industry, senators understood C-234 in its original form – which seeks to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane – is a critical piece of legislation that will have a major positive impact on the agriculture sector, and consequently on grocery prices for Canadians.
“On behalf of CPC, we would like to thank the senators who voted against the previously proposed amendments to the bill — which would have would unfairly excluded the 7,000 pork producers from much needed financial relief,” said Rene Roy, chair of the Canadian Pork Council. “For pork producers, this support is vital. Rising costs are already impacting their livelihood, their ability to invest in the future of their business, and, consequently, food security.”
The current carbon price rebate, introduced last year through Bill C-8, does not fully account for the individual carbon surcharges applied to farms. Bill C-234 ensures eligible farming machinery is inclusive of all farming practices that require natural gas or propane, such as drying grain, irrigation, feed preparation, heating and cooling barns, greenhouses and other agricultural growing structures.
“Our Canadian pig producers are raising the bar for global standards, prioritizing preserving the planet alongside producing high-quality pork,” said Roy. “There is a tremendous potential future for Canada’s pork sector, both domestically and globally. We urge the government to pass this bill and make it law to ensure that we continue to prioritize the quality of our products, while keeping Canada accountable to ensure that we can continue on the proper path to sustainability.”
It is critical that the government makes this important piece of legislation law quickly. Producers need a solution that matches reality to continue adopting best management practices and investing in on-farm innovations—innovations that are essential but costly.
