The CAQ government will reimburse agricultural businesses for the carbon cost.
Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette made the announcement in Drummondville on Friday morning. Quebec will also increase financial support for the next generation of farmers.
Fréchette emphasizes that the government seeks to “reduce the financial pressure on the agricultural sector” and thus “strengthen its competitiveness.”
The premier had made these commitments during the last CAQ leadership race.
To do this, the government will pay $87 million to La Financière agricole du Québec for a program aimed at offsetting the carbon cost.
The government emphasizes that more than 15,500 farmers will receive this reimbursement “automatically and without any forms to fill out”.
The Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA) has long been calling for aid to cover the costs of carbon pricing, arguing that it undermines the competitiveness of Quebec farmers. Fréchette had promised to address the situation, and the UPA reminded her of this last April.
Quebec will also inject $8.8 million into the Financial Support Program for the next generation of farmers.
“Farmers play an essential role: they feed Quebecers. To enable them to do what they do best, we must support them,” the premier stated in a press release.
“We need to produce, process and consume more food from home. By doing so, we can increase our food self-sufficiency and reduce our dependence on foreign markets,” added Agriculture Minister Donald Martel.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
