The President of Keystone Agricultural Producers says one of the biggest remaining concerns related to Manitoba’s proposed carbon pricing plan relates to taxes on fuels used for space heating and grain drying.
Last month Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister unveiled the province’s proposed plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
KAP President Dan Mazier says, while members favor a “made in Manitoba” approach to carbon pricing there are still some unanswered questions when it comes to Manitoba’s proposed plan.
We’ve been asking for exemptions to grow our crop, so any fossil fuels, anything that’s required to grow a crop in Manitoba, that’s what we’ve been asking for exemptions for. In that announcement we found that out. We are exempt on marked fuels and that’s where they stopped short though.
During our conversation at the Advisory Council, the question was asked so what’s next or where is this conversation at so where going to keep on talking. There’s still some concern around space heating and grain drying. The province hasn’t committed to a full on exemption on that. We’re going to keep on pushing on that.
Part of our job is highlight to government, if this was done in a certain way, it would really set especially our livestock industries back. Even our crops that we’re growing like corn, these new novel crops that require drying would put us at a disadvantage and we have to figure out ways of mitigating that so we can remain competitive and yet still grow crops.
Those are the kinds of discussion we’re having and this is the next step of this discussion.
~ Dan Mazier, Keystone Agricultural Producers
Mazier notes Manitobans are being asked to comment on the province’s approach to sustainable development and he encourages producers to involve themselves in the process, either through their organizations or individually. He says this is the time to speak up and have a say.
