“I can’t be green if you are in red”: the tariff response has the priority on sustainable agriculture, the producers say

The farmer of the southern Manitoba Alexander Boersch knows that the use of innovative sustainability measures to improve soil health, water infiltration and nutritional efficiency are not cheap – and it is concerned that the costs could dissuade farmers from adopting new approaches while the rates threaten their means of subsistence.

Boersch, who manages the farms near Elie, about 45 kilometers west of Winnipeg, focuses on regenerative agriculture, which aims to limit the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Uses methods like Cover the cutout – Plant crops specifically destined to protect soil health.

But the rates of 25 % imposed by the United States in steel and aluminum imports – and the threat of Other withdrawals in the next week – together with 100 % retaliation rates from China On oil and Canadian meals are causing uncertainty in the agricultural sector, he said.

The lowest profit margins can discourage sustainability practices such as the rotation of crops or cultivation, which can be expensive and cannot produce benefits for two or three years, said Boersch, which is also co-founder of Regen AG Solutions, a company that helps farmers to implement soil and crop health strategies.

“It is such an important industry for Canada in terms of offering many economic benefits … and if we want to produce healthy foods, you need good agricultural practices”.

Sowing will begin soon, but so far, Few crops should transform a profit For Most prairie farmers.

Boersch is convinced that sustainable agriculture “is the right thing to do”, but he said it will have to be strategic with costs.

While there are some subsidies for sustainability available, for the most part, the farmers foot for these initiatives, he said.

This means that for farmers who “like this idea very much, but they are not 100 % sure and they don’t want to run too many risks … they drop things like that, because they see it only as an additional cost,” he said.

“Signore for farmers right now”

Abshof Farms has more than 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) and has been certified as a regenerative farm from American society has regenerated. But the commercial war between Canada and the United States is limiting new partnerships that would allow them to capitalize with that certification, with some companies reluctant to work with the farm in the middle of uncertainty, said Boersch.

“He is frightening for farmers right now,” said Boersch.

“If we do not soon face these rates, there will be a lot of pain in the agricultural sector that will go next year.”

Colin Hornby, the general manager of the Manitoba Industry Association Keystone, said that the reduction of carbon emissions is important, international trade and rates are the highest priorities for farmers right now.

“You can’t be green if you are in red, so we really have difficulty talking about things other than trade and other financial issues,” said Hornby.

With a new government that will be elected on April 28, both Hornby and Boersch claim to find a resolution with China – after Canada has put 100 % rates on Chinese manufacturing electric vehicles It is a 25 % sampling on aluminum products and Chinese steel last autumn – is a key problem.

Hornby said that the government must also guarantee any new environmental policies does not hinder growth for agricultural producers, which could lead to the rethinking of what means “sustainability”.

“We want to make sure that if someone is able to grow more with less inputs, this is considered sustainable, that we are not concentrating exclusively on emissions,” he said.

Boersch said that the government has to face the effect of China rates on farmers as the Prices of the Canola decrease. He said farmers in western Canada did not feel listened to on the matter and will need support.

Operating costs have increased in the last decade due to inflation, which has been “horrendous in agriculture,” he said, underlining the need to give priority to the concerns of the sector and promote free trade to reduce the charges that producers must face, said.

Without this, farmers may have to reduce costs, reduce wages and take a step back from the growth opportunities, said Boersch.

“Obviously we have to protect ourselves when we need it, but now we are in a position in which we have been painted in a corner from policies against China when our largest client, the United States, is in a battle with us,” he said.