Revenue-funded programs at risk of elimination, OFA president says
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Some agricultural programs could be on the chopping block now that Ontario’s Premier has revoked the province’s cap-and-trade regulations.
The provincial government has started to wind down programs financed through carbon tax revenues, its release stated yesterday.
This decision could end Green Ontario Fund programs, including GreenON Agriculture, a cost-sharing initiative that helped farm businesses adopt clean technologies and reduce their carbon footprints. The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association administered this program.
Some soil health initiatives funded through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Account, including LiDAR mapping, could also be at risk of losing funding, Keith Currie, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, told Farms.com today.
“LiDAR mapping was going to have a huge positive impact on facilitating precision ag,” Currie said. “Our soil maps are over 70 years old. The LiDAR imaging would certainly update the maps for a myriad of different applications. It would provide us with a more accurate description of what we have below our feet.”
The government plans to conduct a forensic assessment of the programming before making any final decisions. However, agriculture will likely see cuts, Currie said.
“I suspect very little will be kept unless someone can make a very good argument that the program makes financial sense,” he said. “We just have to wait and see.”
The PCs will honour existing contracts and orders, including agreements for energy efficient insultation and window retrofits. However, they will examine other initiatives “on a case-by-case basis in alignment with the Ford government's Plan for the People and the upcoming value-for-money audit,” the release said.
Even if producers lose access to some of these programs, they will still practice environmental stewardship on their farms, Currie said.
“I don’t think you’re going to see farmers (being unhappy) because carbon pricing’s not in Ontario,” he said. “They’re not going to drop everything they’ve been working on. They’re still going to continue to do their part.”
The province’s move could impact Canada’s cap-and-trade decisions.
“If Ford manages to get some allies across the country, it may change the discussion with the federal government,” Currie said.
Regardless of how carbon pricing plays out in Canada, Currie would like to see agriculture exempt from the associated costs.
“We’re not considered emitters, so let’s take (farmers) out of the picture,” he said. “Don’t make us pay for something if we can’t pass on the cost.”
kn1/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo