Canadian Farmer Protests
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. Many Canadian farmers are protesting in solidarity with farmers in the Netherlands over government targets to reduce nitrogen emissions.
Ontario farmer, Lyle De Boer worries Canadian emission targets will escalate, but says Dutch mandates will force farmers in the Netherlands out of business …
PROTESTS … “They want to cap nitrogen emissions by a significant amount. And the result of that is reduction of livestock and reduction of fertilizers and things of that nature. Ultimately, what that means is small farmers going out of business and it means big farms producing less food.”
Saskatchewan farmer Norman Smith says the Dutch mandates are too severe …
PROTEST … “The government is trying to put all these family farms out of business. For example, I was reading this story about one farmer. He has to cull 95 percent of his dairy herd, just because he lives next door to a forest.”
Ag Producers of Saskatchewan president, Ian Boxall says the Canadian reduction goals unfairly target field crops …
PROTEST … “Producers care more about the environment than we ever get credit for. Which is frustrating, because we are the first ones that say any type of change. It affects our bottom line every day. I do not believe, with the way we apply or fertilizer in Saskatchewan, 80 percent of it is probably put in the ground at the time of seeding. We don’t have huge emissions.”
By 2030, the Dutch government has mandated nitrogen emission cuts for all of agriculture by over 50%, while Canada hopes to reach a 30% reduction from fertilizers.
