Bill C-234 Update (Extending the Carbon Tax Exemption on Farm Fuels)

Bill C-234 seeks to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane. The bill recently moved from the House of Commons, where it received widespread support across party lines, into the Senate chamber. The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) and other agricultural organizations are encouraging its swift passage into law so that farmers and ranchers can benefit from the savings in input costs.

If Bill C-234 is not moved through the Senate before they break for summer in June, farmers won't receive the carbon tax exemption it aims to provide until at least the fall. Some of the activities this bill would exempt from the carbon tax include irrigation, grain drying, feed preparation, heating or cooling of barns, and other necessary on-farm practices that rely on natural gas and propane. In light of rising input costs for farmers and global food insecurity, it is critical that this bill is passed into law as quickly as possible.