Reading Time: 3 minutes In a May 27 letter to finance minister Chrystia Freeland, agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay and national revenue minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, 10 signatories said they are concerned about the capital gains inclusion rate, the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and the Canadian Entrepreneurs’ Incentive (CEI), which were all announced in April.
Farm groups criticize capital gains inclusion rate change
Ten national organizations say several tax-related changes in the 2024 federal budget will impact farmers
Railway strike vote dismays farmers
Grain Growers of Canada calls on railways, workers to resolve their differences
Reading Time: < 1 minute Grain Growers of Canada is sounding the alarm over a potential strike by workers at both of the country’s major railways.
Calls to eliminate the carbon tax grow after the April 1 increase
Reading Time: 2 minutes Opposition to the federal price on pollution ramped up last week as several premiers called for a meeting with the prime minister to discuss the issue.
Producers welcome change to cash advance program
After much lobbying, federal government increases interest-free portion of program to $250,000
Reading Time: 2 minutes The interest-free portion of the federal Advance Payments Program will be $250,000 this year, much to farmers’ relief. The amount had been set to drop back to $100,000 at the end of this month after sitting at $350,000 for 2023.
Bill to protect supply management unlikely to harm trade talks
Former agriculture trade negotiator said the legislation is more symbolic
Reading Time: < 1 minute Long-time Canadian trade negotiator Steve Verheul says Bill C-282 is a political signal and not likely to threaten future deals.
CFA delegates want interest-free portion of APP back at higher limit
Politicians grilled on intentions toward carbon price exemption bill
Reading Time: 2 minutes Federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay said Feb. 27 he couldn’t move the interest-free portion of the Advance Payment Program back up to $350,000.
Feds reduce interest-free portion of cash advance
Increases implemented over the last few years have been discontinued, leaving farmers to pay higher interest cost
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers applying for spring cash advances should be aware the interest-free portion has dropped back to 2021 levels.
Feds plan to invest in processing projects
The money comes from a fund earmarked to help supply managed sectors hurt by trade deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal government will invest $89 million in 49 processing projects in the supply managed sector. Agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay was in Ingleside, Ont., at the Lactalis Canada cheese plant to make the Feb. 5 announcement. The projects are through the six-year, $397.5-million Supply Management Processing Investment Fund, which is part of Ottawa's commitment to help sectors that lost market share due to trade agreements.
Sask. livestock drought program extended
Ten RMs added to area eligible for per-head payment, application deadline lengthened
Reading Time: < 1 minute Governments have expanded and extended the Canada-Saskatchewan Feed Program available to the province's livestock producers. Ten rural municipalities have been added to the area eligible for the initial $150 per head payment, and the application deadline has been extended to March 15.
Farmers demand incentives for environmental changes
A final strategy was to be released in late 2023 but feds now say it will be sometime this year
Reading Time: 2 minutes A federal environmental strategy for the agriculture sector should be viewed through an economic lens, says a report from consultations on the proposed Sustainable Agriculture Strategy.
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
