Greenhouse gas controls affect input prices Saturday, June 11, 2011 by SUSAN MANNFarmers will feel the effects of regulations the federal government is implementing to help it meet greenhouse gas emissions targets, says Don McCabe, Ontario Federation of Agriculture vice president.The federal government’s current approach to addressing climate change is to implement regulations for each sector, such as fertilizer manufacturing, natural gas, cement and metal manufacturers, he says. The regulations are being designed to help the federal government meet its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.Growers will have to pay additional costs for products they use if the regulations end up costing the manufacturers more money. “Even though it’s called a regulation it is a form of a carbon tax,” says McCabe.Farm leaders are promoting the concept of an offset market, which will given farmers an opportunity to voluntarily “be proactive in providing credits from actions we do on our farms to ensure we can offset the costs that are going to come on other industries,” he explains.In a recently released report, called A Climate Change Plan for the Purposes of the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act, 2011, it says Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions were 732 megatonnes in 2008 and 690 Mt in 2009. These numbers are from the latest National Greenhouse Gas Inventory.The 2009 level dropped 42 Mt or six per cent from the 2008 level. It was the second year in a row that emissions decreased caused in part by the global recession and reduced use of coal for electricity generation, it says in the Climate Change Plan report. McCabe says he hasn’t seen the report.Energy activities produced the majority of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2009 – 82 per cent or 566 Mt of the total. The remaining 18 per cent of the total Canadian emission was generated by other activities, including agriculture (8.11 per cent), industrial processes (6.7 per cent), waste (3.19 per cent) and solvent and other product uses (0.04 per cent).Canada’s allowable emissions under the Kyoto Protocol for the 2008-2012 period are 2,792 Mt, it says in the Climate Change Plan report. The report lists projected estimates for greenhouse gas emissions for the 2008-2012 period. The projected emissions growth is highly dependent on forecasting assumptions, such as the pace of economic growth and the world oil price.Higher world oil and natural gas prices generally have the effect of increasing energy efficiency and thereby reducing emissions, it says in the report. Higher energy costs tend to increase the cost of production thereby lowering manufacturing activity and resulting in lower emission from these sectors of the economy.But higher world oil prices will also stimulate increased oil and gas production activity in Canada and therefore increase emissions from that part of the economy, it says in the report. BF Ontario's strawberry crop looks promising AgriStability deadlines looming
Be ready for your next flat tire Friday, May 30, 2025 By Braxten Breen Farms.com Intern The Andersen Hitches Rapid Jack is a three-in-one tool - a tire jack -- that can also be used as a post block or a wheel chock. Its main purpose is to help change tires on trailers, and this cool tool is made in the USA. It is an innovative Tire Jack... Read this article online
An Ontario Foodbelt? Two MPPs want to see it happen Friday, May 30, 2025 Ontario has a Greenbelt and a Whitebelt, and if two MPPs are successful with a piece of legislation the province’s future will include a Foodbelt. Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner (Guelph) and independent MPP Bobbi Ann Brady (Haldimand-Norfolk) tabled Bill 21, the Protect Our... Read this article online
Livestock Research Innovation Corporation welcomes new board members Thursday, May 29, 2025 Two new board directors have joined the leadership of Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC). Mohamad Yaghi with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and Sonya Fiorini from Burnbrae Farms both fill appointed director positions on the LRIC board. Yaghi replaces Franco Naccarato from Meat and... Read this article online
Canadian Farm Income Sees Sharp Decline Thursday, May 29, 2025 In 2024, Canadian farmers experienced a significant financial setback, with realized net income dropping by $3.3 billion, or 25.9%, to $9.4 billion according to Statistics Canada. This marks the steepest percentage decrease since 2018. When cannabis is excluded, the drop stands at... Read this article online
Did you Know you can Experience IPM 2025 in the Comfort of Your RV? Thursday, May 29, 2025 The International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) is making a grand return to Niagara this fall for the first time in nearly a century. Visitors can now stay close to the excitement by booking a spot at the official IPM 2025 RV Park. Located just steps away from the main action, the... Read this article online