Fertilizer cut makes no sense, jeopardizes our food supply

As thoughts turn to back-to-school and the autumn months, farmers are looking to the harvest ahead. We’re grateful for all the work they do and the sacrifices they make to give us an abundant, safe food supply in Canada.

Our agriculture and agri-food sector is the best in the world and a source of pride for all Canadians. At a time when the world is looking for solutions to global food shortages and production displaced by the war in Ukraine, Canadian farmers are a ready and willing solution.

Except the Trudeau government continues to put up more obstacles that hinder our farmers and threaten our food supply. They don’t understand agriculture and don’t want to try.

Already struggling with a walloping increase in fertilizer targets this past spring and the punative carbon tax on heating and cooling barns and drying grain, the Trudeau government is now planning to impose massive fertilizer reductions on Canadian farmers.

This makes no sense. Without fertilizer, yields will drop and we’ll lose the ability to feed ourselves and the world. Anyone who likes to eat should be concerned about this new Liberal plan. What’s worse is that it’s not even necessary. Farmers are cost-conscious stewards of the land. Always have been. They’re not going to spend extra money on more fertilizer than is necessary. Precision agriculture and modern farming practices already ensure no fertilizer goes to waste.

These are big issues that need to be addressed when Parliament returns in the fall and before farmers in Flamborough and across Canada start to plan for the 2023 season.

Meanwhile, Conservatives continue to fight for our farmers. With the support of NDP and Bloc MPs, we passed Bill C-234 onto committee back in May. This Bill from Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb eliminates the carbon tax on farm fuels. Another common sense solution for our farmers, Bill C-280, was tabled in June by York-Simcoe MP Scot Davidson. It protects fruit and vegetable producers – including those right here in Flamborough — from being stuck with a perishable product when a wholesale or retail customer goes bankrupt. Producers have been calling for this for decades.

Our farmers have never given up on us. They supply us our daily bread. We’ll always keep fighting for them.