Red Peppers
Greenhouse operators can expect to see their carbon tax relief grants coming through in June this year.
The annual grant covers 80 per cent of the carbon tax that commercial greenhouse growers paid on the natural gas and propane they used for greenhouse heating and CO2 production in the previous year.
Commercial vegetable and floriculture producers, wholesale nurseries, and forest seedling nurseries are eligible to apply for the grant.
The Ministry of Agriculture expects the processing of applications to be completed by May 30, 2017.
Since making the greenhouse carbon tax relief grant a permanent program in 2013, commercial greenhouse operators have received grants of around $7 million per year. The commercial greenhouse sector is a successful, growing industry. In 2015, growers produced about 120,000 tonnes of vegetables, bringing in $308 million in revenue. B.C.’s floriculture and nursery industries generated half a billion dollars in combined revenues in 2015, which included 92 million cut flowers, over 54 million potted plants.
The B.C. government's Agrifood and Seafood Strategic Growth Plan supports the greenhouse carbon tax relief grant program by encouraging greenhouse operators to adopt technology, practices and processes to enhance energy efficiency and competitiveness.