Federal Agriculture Minister is optimistic about the ag sector heading into 2024

Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay says the environment remains a top priority for the government in 2024.

He says it was also a key priority and challenge for 2023 as the weather and environment impacted the agriculture sector right across the country from the wildfires to drought and the viciousness of storms like Hurricane Fiona.

"As far as the highlights were concerned. The investments we made in agriculture, that's what that was all about to help farmers expand and produce more. Of course, we have continually been producing more over the years. But as you know with direct seeding, and all the things that agriculture has done over the years has helped, but we have to deal with the environment."

He notes farming is never without difficulty noting they continue to make investments to help and improve the industry through their Sustainable Agriculture Strategy.

Federal MP's are set to return to Ottawa later this month and when they do, one of the issues on the table will be Bill C-234 which relates to the carbon tax and the agriculture industry.

The bill was amended in the Senate to remove any reference to removing the carbon tax exemption from barns and farm buildings.

Farm groups and organizations have been very vocal about their disappointment in the amendments noting that the carbon tax is costing many producers tens of thousands of dollars just to do the basic jobs on the farm from heating barns to protect young livestock to putting the crop in the ground and using grain dryers to get grain into condition for storage.

"It (farming) is never without difficulty. But as you know, 97 per cent of the fuels that are used on farms, not all, but 97 per cent of them are exempt from the tax on pollution. And as you're aware,  we have a sustainable agricultural strategy and they're focused in five areas and of course, climate change is a big one.  We hope that the report will come out early next year."