Feds should support, not hinder, farmers

DEAR EDITOR:

The Maru Poll lists farmers and scientists among our 10 most respected occupations. Politicians, environmentalists and journalists didn’t make the cut.

Farmers are productive and self-reliant; and they feed us. Their products aren’t as mushy as those of the scientists, and are less liable to distortion and misrepresentation. Maybe that’s why the politicians, environmentalists and media like to piggyback on the scientists instead of the farmers.

Farmers are already highly efficient with fertilizer use, which is hardly surprising considering the cost of fertilizers and the effort involved in applying them. There’s always room for improvement through better farm management practices, but it’s unrealistic to expect the government’s target of a 30% reduction in emissions from nitrogen fertilizers to be achieved without significant reductions in crop yields and increased input costs.

Watch for the iron fist in the velvet glove again. The 30% target is voluntary for now, but it can’t be reached without government controls and regulation. As we’ve seen with the Emergency Act, carbon taxes and various mandates, our government isn’t shy about imposing arbitrary measures to achieve their objectives.

The UN is pressing for more food production to alleviate global food shortages. They’ve even made arrangements for Russian fertilizer exports to continue to boost production. We’re badly out of step with our government’s crackdown on fertilizers and increased carbon taxes which will limit food production and increase costs.

Eastern Canada imports more than 660,000 tons of nitrogen fertilizers annually from Russia, and Canada is the only G7 country with sanctions on Russian fertilizers. This involves a 35% tariff for Canadian farmers and consumers. How is this helping with food production and costs? It seems like another triumph of climate ideology over reason.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is currently hiring enforcement officers for field inspections and investigations. They’ll wear uniforms and body armour and carry weapons and handcuffs. Who will they be policing, and why? To this point the country has functioned reasonably well without such intrusions.

Historically, the federal government has played an important role in fostering agriculture. Government experimental farms and research stations have operated since early times, and have been invaluable in improving crop varieties and farming techniques for greater productivity and sustainability. That’s real science at work, and the proper role for government in agriculture. John Thompson Kaleden