Ontario Grain Farmer June/July 2021

18 An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events WHEAT MARKETING ENDS Grain Farmers of Ontario has ended its Wheat Pool and Forward Contract wheat marketing programs. Those using the Wheat Pool for the 2020 crop year will receive their final payment in August 2021. Grain Farmers of Ontario will continue to offer daily reports and bids at www.gfo.ca and we will continue to support the SellSmart app. We continue to promote wheat production and wheat products to the public, retailers, and existing and new trade markets. We also continue our investment and partnership in the SGS Grains Analytical Testing Laboratory for credible quality data and enhanced consumer confidence, and are actively promoting Ontario wheat to domestic and international markets. CARBON REBATES Grain Farmers of Ontario applauds the federal government's commitment to return a portion of the proceeds from the price on pollution directly to farmers. This decision was announced in Budget 2021, tabled at the end of April. The rebate is recognition that many farmers rely on natural gas and propane in their operations and that there are no ready substitutes. The budget states that beginning in 2021-22, farmers in backstop jurisdictions (currently Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario), will receive rebates equal to about $100 million. Returns in future years will be based on proceeds from the price on pollution collected in the prior fiscal year and are expected to increase as the price on pollution rises. Budget 2021 also proposes $50 million for the purchase of more efficient grain dryers for farmers across Canada. BOOSTING FOOD AND AGRI- TECH INNOVATION Grain Farmers of Ontario and Bioenterprise, Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine, have joined forces to help grow strong agriculture and food businesses in Ontario. The two organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together to advance Ontario innovation in the agri- food industry. The two organizations will collaborate on information-sharing, finding innovative solutions to critical grain industry problems, and impact assessment and viability analysis of new innovations, technologies and solutions. The partnership will also provide support to food and agri-tech start-ups and early-stage companies in the province, through programs including Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Grains Innovation Fund. It will also connect grain researchers to innovative companies and projects using Ontario grain, creating new opportunities for the grain industry from farm to table. HEALTH CANADA NEONICOTINOID DECISIONS Health Canada has released its decisions on the risks to aquatic insects from two neonicotinoid pesticides, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. Of note to grain farmers, both decisions include a reduction of the seed treatment rate for field corn resulting in the cancellation of the use of both of these products for corn rootworm. The maximum seed treatment rate for thiamethoxam on soybeans has also been reduced, resulting in the cancellation of its use for bean leaf beetle, European chafer, soybean aphid, and wireworm. These changes will be implemented over the next 24 months. Grain farmers should speak to their agronomists about alternative seed treatments and production practices to combat problem insects. FROM THE CHAIR A Q&A with Brendan Byrne, chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario. Why was Enbridge Line 5 an important issue for Grain Farmers of Ontario to respond to? Line 5 might not have been on everyone’s radar across the province, but a closure of this pipeline would have serious consequences in all districts. 53 per cent of Ontario’s crude oil supply enters the province through Line 5. A disruption would significantly impact the price of gasoline, diesel, propane, jet fuel, plastics, and chemicals because we do not have alternative transportation infrastructure in place to provide the same level of supply. The governor of Michigan wants the pipeline shut down due to environmental concerns in the Straits of Mackinac. Enbridge has a plan to create a protective tunnel to house a new pipeline, but wants the existing pipeline to remain operational while it is built. Our public support for the continued operation of Line 5 is not anti-environmental. It is an example of how we understand the need to reduce our environmental impact but need the time, resources, and continued operations until a viable replacement is in place. In a similar vein, Ontario farmers are in the same position with grain drying — we are willing to look into more efficient and less carbon intensive alternatives, but we are not there yet, and we can’t simply stop using grain dryers. We have had numerous discussions with government about how farmers can be part of the solution to meet their environment and climate change goals. • Do you have a question for our chair? Email GrainTALK@gfo.ca .