Canada’s fertilizer tariff increases cost of production for Ontario farmers

Agriculture groups say that Canada’s tariff on Russian imported nitrogen fertilizer puts Canadian farmers at a competitive disadvantage and will impact consumers. 

Keith Currie, the vice president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, told The Rob Snow Show on July 25 that because eastern Canada doesn’t produce nitrogen, the 35 per cent cost increase means Ontario farmers have put out one of their most expensive crops in recent history. 

He said that although the Federation understands the spirit behind the tariffs, it’s frustrating that Canada is the only G7 country imposing them. 

“It’s really cramping the opportunity for us to take full advantage of the ability to produce food here,” he said.

Currie added that nitrogen fertilizer is a significant factor in farm operations from both an input cost perspective and the amount of product they yield.

“It will dramatically reduce our yields, and the money yield reduction will exceed the amount of savings that we’ll receive in reducing and reusing less nitrogen,” he said. 

Currie said Canada is in a “wonderful position” to help alleviate the food supply chain crisis, but the tariffs put Canadian farmers at a competitive disadvantage with the United States, which doesn’t have the same cost impacts. 

He explained that the more it costs for farmers to produce the product, the more it will cost consumers to buy it. 

“This is where we need to be diligent as a society and say to our government [that] food security is important,” he said. 

Listen to the full interview with Keith Curry below: