Barlow says agriculture has a loot of untapped potential if government gets out of the way

The Conservative Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food says the agriculture industry today has a lot of untapped potential.

John Barlow says things like the carbon tax and regulatory burden are holding agriculture back.

"When it comes to harmonization of regulations, we hear so many times that it's impossible to get new innovations commercialized here in Canada to get approvals. I just think it's a matter of in many cases just getting government out of the way, or government being a partner with agriculture rather than an adversary."

He says a key priority for the Conservatives when Parliament resumes in February is to pass Bill C-234 unamended and send it back to the Senate.

The Conservative private members bill originally called for the carbon tax to be removed on natural gas and propane used for on farm use for grain drying, irrigation, heating, and cooling livestock barns and greenhouses.

The bill passed through Parliament but was amended in the Senate removing barns and greenhouses from the legislation, a second amendment also shortened the sunset clause on the carbon price exemption from eight years to three years.

Barlow that all the debate around Bill C234 resulted in more Canadians having a better understanding of the burden the carbon tax is placing on farmers and its impact on food prices.