Carbon-tax exemption for farm heating survives Senate vote

Nov 08, 2023

A private member’s bill promising carbon tax relief for Canada’s farmers cleared a major obstacle in the Senate on Tuesday.

In a late afternoon vote, senators overwhelmingly rejected a controversial amendment to Bill C-234, a private member’s bill. The bill would amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to exempt propane and natural gas from the carbon tax if it is used to dry grain or climate control in barns and livestock buildings.

The amendment, introduced during Senate committee consideration, would have removed all uses except grain drying from the bill, a move that angered the agriculture industry, which says carbon taxes are already driving up their costs.

“This is an example of where legislative government is working, that we can still work under a minority government and have some of these bills pass,” said Mushrooms Canada CEO Ryan Koeslag — one of the many agricultural organizations advocating for the bill to pass amendment-free.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.