A Conservative bill to exempt farm fuels from the Liberal carbon tax passed 2nd reading this week.

Introduced by Conservative MP Philip Lawrence, Provencher MP Ted Falk seconded Bill C-206 to remove the carbon tax from essential farming fuels.

Bill C-206 is now referred to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food for study before returning to the House of Commons for 3rd reading.

“This is great news for farmers here in southeast Manitoba,” said Falk. “The essential fuels farmers need to feed Canadian families and the world should not be subject to the Liberal carbon tax.”

The bill received support from all Conservative, New Democrat, Bloc Quebecois, and Green MPs in the House of Commons.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says the government is committed to new rebates for on-farm fuel use such as grain drying in order to both support food producers and also anchorage new investments in sustainable technologies that go beyond existing exemptions for farmer fuels and rebates for greenhouses.

"Our government will make grain drying and barn heating a priority focus under the new $165 million Agriculture Clean Technology fund. The program will invest in energy efficiency, fuel switching, and other new technologies on farms. It will be launched in the coming months."

Bibeau made the comments at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture AGM on Thursday.