Bruce County council will be requesting the Prime Minister put a pause on emissions targets related to fertilizer.
The federal government recently announced a goal to reduce nitrous oxide emissions caused by fertilizer by 30 per cent by 2030.
County councillor and Brockton Mayor Chris Peabody put the motion forward to request to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pause the deadline for the target in order to encourage the agri-food industry to work together with farmers to find emission reduction solutions through research, innovation and the adoption of best practices.
Peabody explained the cause for concern, saying, “It’s estimated by farm groups in the prairies that crunch numbers that over a decade, this would result in $10-billion less farm revenue in Canada from cash crops such as canola and wheat.”
The reason behind the Trudeau government’s call to reduce emissions is to reduce the greenhouse gas known as nitrous oxide.
Grey County Federation of Agriculture President Dianne Booker recently commented on the federal government’s plan, saying nitrous oxide emissions aren’t only from agriculture, but also from other sources, such as industry, vehicles, and wastewater management.
