Canadian canola industry urges action
Canada is perfectly positioned to play a major role in the emerging global biofuels industry. A made-in-Canada biodiesel industry will create jobs and opportunity for Canadian farmers.
We need investments to ensure jobs, capital and research stay right here at home. We need incentives to create an industry. Without continued government investments that put Canadian producers on par with the US, there is no biodiesel industry in this country.
Our objective will be to reach a market demand of 5% renewable content in diesel by 2015. Canada’s canola growers are ready to make a Canadian biodiesel industry happen, and they are ready now. Over the past 30 years they have helped build the canola industry from the ground up to a $14 billion-a-year industry in Canada; they are committed to doing the same for biodiesel.
Canada has a choice. Create a value-added agricultural economy here at home – through biodiesel production and distribution – or export raw canola south of the border and import biodiesel back into the country. We think the choice is clear. Let’s keep the jobs, investment and expertise here in Canada.