Parliament Hill Protest focuses on Bill C234 and land ownership

A protest on Parliament Hill on Wednesday focused on two key areas of concern for producers the carbon tax and investor ownership of farmland. 

Producers have been pushing for the Senate to pass Bill C-234 without amendments. 

Bill C-234 would remove the carbon tax on natural gas and propane used for on-farm use for grain drying, irrigation, heating and cooling livestock 
barns and greenhouses.

Members of the National Farmer's Union also called on Ottawa to implement a ban on investor ownership of Canada's farmland. 

An open letter outlining the need for the protection of Canada's farmland is circulating. 

The NFU's youth committee notes that the number one barrier facing new farmers is access to farmland. 

Reports show that 40 per cent of Canadian farm operators plan to retire over the next decade and the majority don't have a succession plan.

The group notes that massive investment firms are pushing the cost of land out of reach for producers trying to get into the industry.

The NFU points out that in Saskatchewan alone, large investors and absentee landlords have purchased a million acres of farmland in the last 20 years - an area almost 18 times the size of Saskatoon. These purchases have driven up the cost of farmland by an average of 16% annually. ... noting that under these conditions, farmers cannot afford to farm.