Farmers in the Peace country are being unfairly hurt by the carbon tax. That’s the argument Grande Prairie – Mackenzie MP Chris Warkentin made in parliament last week.
“Wet conditions mean that the majority of grain needs to be dried,” he says. “This is a major expense for any farm and the carbon tax on natural gas makes it prohibitively expensive.”
Warkentin wants to see farms be exempted from the carbon tax federally. He’s worried that the cost is making local farmers less competitive.
“Warmer temperatures this week are a welcome reprieve for Peace Country farmers who have been struggling to harvest flattened crops left soaked by early snow and persistent rain. Official reports have confirmed that 50 per cent of the harvest is still on the ground and much of the harvest has been degraded by frost and moisture.”
According to the province’s most recent crop report, an estimated 44.8 per cent of all crops had been harvested in the Peace country. Crop quality estimates are lower.