An Amended Bill C-234 Adds Costs and Delays for Farmers

Nov 02, 2023

Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) is calling on all Senators to defeat the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry's amendment that would remove heating and cooling of barns and greenhouses from Bill C-234.

“This amendment dramatically changes the scope and intent of the bill and will cost farmers thousands of dollars, which could instead be used to invest in the sustainability of their operations," says Dave Carey, CCGA's Vice-President, Government & Industry Relations. “Farmers are on the front line of food production, and they currently do not have any viable alternatives for natural gas and propane used in drying grain or heating and cooling barns."

CCGA is extremely concerned that the proposed amendment will severely delay the bill's passage, while unfairly hurting major segments of Canada's farming sector.

“We ask all Senators to vote against the proposed amendment and avoid having the bill sent back to the House of Commons for further review," says Carey.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?