You may have noticed the price increase at the gas pump.

On Saturday, the federal carbon tax increased to $65 per tonne as the first year of an accelerated price increase that will hit $170 per tonne by 2030.

That increase is going to have a major impact for farmers and ranchers across the country.

APAS highlights the unfair impact of the carbon tax on the province's ag sector. 

President Ian Boxall says Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers are furthest from market access and bear significant costs when it comes to carbon surcharges on fuel to transport goods to market.

On average, Saskatchewan grain travels 1,150 miles to port, published railway tariffs suggest a carbon surcharge of $0.1129 per railcar mile will be applied to rail shipments this year, or over $36 million in carbon surcharges on 26 million tonnes of grain shipped to market access.

Boxall says the carbon tax increase means Saskatchewan farms will pay over $40 million in carbon tax just to get their products to port. 

He points out that the increase also impacts the livestock sector with a lack of federally inspected meat processing facilities in Saskatchewan, the majority of cattle are shipped out of the province.

As an example ... 800,000 calves travelling 600 kilometres from central Saskatchewan to feedlot alley in Alberta equates to over 9,000 semi-loads of animals, incurring fuel carbon surcharges on travel both ways. 

Boxall wants to see Bill C-234 - the bill to exempt carbon charges on propane and natural gas for barn heating and grain drying - expedited through the Senate for royal assent and into law.

Overall he says farmers will easily pay more in barn heating or grain drying each month than they will ever see in rebates.

To hear Glenda-lee's conversation with APAS President Ian Boxall click on the link below.