Coping with rising vitality prices first recognized by OFA members as second greatest precedence for farm companies behind lowering farm tax burdens
Paul Maurice is an government member of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture:
Considerations and challenges round Ontario’s vitality provide stay a top-of-mind difficulty with Ontario’s farmers as we gathered in Toronto final week for the annual normal assembly of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
Coping with rising vitality prices was first recognized by OFA members because the second greatest precedence for farm companies behind lowering farm tax burdens within the OFA Farm Enterprise Confidence Survey launched earlier this yr.
When requested to determine the largest vitality difficulty limiting their enterprise’ progress or effectivity throughout a stay ballot on the assembly, just below half chosen affordability, adopted by roughly 30 per cent who pointed to lack of infrastructure, reminiscent of entry to three-phase energy or pure fuel as their greatest limiting issue.
This is a matter that’s vital to the way forward for financial prosperity in Ontario. That’s as a result of Ontario’s agri-food sector contributes greater than $50 billion to the province’s financial system yearly, in addition to supporting greater than 870,000 jobs or using about 11 per cent of the province’s work drive.
On our farms, vitality is among the most vital working bills, and the demand for clear, dependable and reasonably priced vitality in Ontario, throughout Canada and certainly all over the world is on the rise.
Once we take a look at the magnitude of the how a lot energy we are going to want by 2050, it turns into clearer than ever that planning for our future vitality wants requires a considerate, long-term method that additionally respects different key parameters just like the setting and our capacity to supply meals.
My household and I farm close to Penetanguishene, and along with being a member of the OFA’s provincial board of administrators, I used to be additionally simply elected to the group’s government committee.
I’m additionally the chair of the vitality committee, and in that function, I’ve been a part of conferences with Minister of Power and Electrification Steven Lecce and representatives from his ministry to share our considerations across the significance of balancing Ontario’s vitality and meals safety wants.
It was due to this fact re-assuring to me when earlier this fall, Minister Lecce introduced the introduction of agricultural influence assessments as a part of the province’s new vitality procurement framework.
Affiliate Power Minister Sam Oosterhoff spoke to our delegates final week on behalf of Minister Lecce and he re-iterated their ministry’s dedication to minimizing the influence of vitality enlargement on Ontario farmland and the necessity to take a balanced method to vitality planning.
Our annual convention final week additionally featured a panel of vitality trade leaders who shared their views on the range of the vitality sector and the way farms, along with needing vitality, may also play a job in creating vitality for Ontario.
Renewable vitality from on-farm wind or photo voltaic installations can contribute vitality to the provincial grid, famous a consultant from the Canadian Renewable Power Affiliation. The Canadian Biogas Affiliation highlighted the alternatives in producing biogas and renewable pure fuel from recycling natural waste supplies.
On the similar time, the trade expects extra typical vitality sources like pure fuel and propane to proceed to play a major function in our vitality combine. The important thing, careworn by all audio system, was the significance of working collectively to strike a balanced, combined method to assembly vitality wants.
That’s why OFA appreciates the efforts of the Ministry of Power and Electrification and the Ministry of Agriculture, Meals and Agribusiness to make safety of our meals provide a key a part of the long-term planning round vitality infrastructure.
It additionally underscores how vital it’s that OFA continues to work with each authorities and the vitality sector to make sure agriculture’s voice is represented and encourage collaborative approaches to planning that can help vitality wants, meals safety and financial progress.
