File photo of steam rising from the top of a grain dryer. (Diane Kuhl/iStock/Getty Images)

New farm fuel carbon tax rule to return to Commons

Further carbon pricing exemptions clear ag committee, with sunset clause added

A bill that would exempt more farm fuels from Canada’s federal carbon pricing scheme has cleared the Commons’ ag committee and returned to the House of Commons to seek a third and final vote. C-234, a private member’s bill sponsored by southwestern Ontario Conservative MP Ben Lobb, appeared before the Commons’ standing committee on agriculture […] Read more

Triple Green Products has created a grain drying heat source designed to use a variety of biomass products.

Manitoba company offers biomass grain drying system

The BioDryAir system supplies heat for grain drying from a variety of biomass products

As the federal government moves closer to implementing a carbon tax, the impact of that on farmers’ fuel costs are bound to be significant. And the effect of that most talked about lately has been on the cost of gas for drying grain. One Manitoba company thinks it can offer producers a better, cheaper method […] Read more


(Flaman Group video screengrab via YouTube)

Clean ag tech adoption fund open for applications

Intake open and ongoing for Agricultural Clean Technology Program

A federal program farmers can use to invest in “cleaner” on-farm equipment — including money specifically for more efficient grain dryers — is now taking applications. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday announced the $165.7 million Agricultural Clean Technology Program is “now open to applicants.” First launched in 2018 and earmarked for expansion under […] Read more

(Strickke/E+/Getty Images)

Top court upholds federal carbon pricing policy

Farm groups, fearing unsustainable costs, press for next steps

Calgary/Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of the federal government’s carbon pricing policy on Thursday, upholding a central pillar of Prime Minister Justin’s Trudeau’s climate plan and infuriating some provinces that opposed it. The country’s top court said climate change is a threat to Canada as a whole and upheld the […] Read more


Winnipeg South Centre MP Jim Carr speaks to the Canadian Crops Virtual Convention on March 2, 2021. (CCVC video screengrab)

Carbon tax rebate on grain drying fuels coming

Jim Carr reiterates Bibeau's pledge from last week

Farmers can expect a rebate on carbon taxes paid on fuels used to dry grain, Jim Carr, the federal cabinet’s special representative for the Prairies, told the Canadian Crops Virtual Convention on Tuesday. However, he didn’t provide any details. “There is promising news on this front,” Carr told the meeting, hosted by the Canola Council […] Read more

(Strickke/E+/Getty Images)

Grain drying relief moving forward, one way or other

Governing Liberals telegraph plans to introduce their own measure

Despite voting against a bill to exempt certain farm fuels from the carbon tax, the governing federal Liberals say tax relief for grain drying is coming. Conservative MP Philip Lawrence’s private member’s bill C-206, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (qualifying farming fuel), passed second reading in the House of Commons […] Read more



Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, with Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna (l) and Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault (r), speaks at the Dominion Arboretum in Ottawa on Dec. 11, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Blair Gable)

New greening programs planned for ag alongside carbon tax hike

Carbon price to hit $170 per tonne by 2030

A new federal climate plan which further cranks up taxes on carbon emissions also includes pledges of new programs to help sink more carbon into farmland. The government on Friday released the sequel to its 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change — a “strengthened” climate plan, titled A Healthy Environment and a […] Read more


Due to the shift to larger bins, a lot of farms don’t have adequate power to have fans big enough to move adequate air, says a Canola Council of Canada expert.

Explore your options for heating and grain drying infrastructure

Experts advise farmers to consider the economics and benefits and to plan ahead, plus tips on airflow and spoilage prevention

Last year’s cold, wet harvest conditions proved a challenging test for many Prairie producers, both during harvest and once grain was in the bin. Even in a good year, effective fan technology is critical to successful storage. Last year, many farmers with heating and drying infrastructure and grain bin monitoring technologies were able to take […] Read more

S3 Air Systems' User Friendly Option aeration system is billed as offering better airflow performance with less installation hassle.

Modular grain drying system simplified, affordable, lightweight

How S3 Air Systems' new UFO for vertical aeration works

While most UFOs are typically known for their destructive crop circles, this UFO will actually promote better grain storage through proper aeration and potentially save commodities in the bin. S3 Air Systems’ User Friendly Option, or UFO aeration system, was designed with simplicity and ease of installation in mind with the ability to retrofit to […] Read more