Carbon relief grants now open for greenhouse growers

Feb 9, 2019 | 12:30 PM

VICTORIA – In a release today (Feb. 9), B.C’s Ministry of Agriculture has announced the applications for 2019 carbon tax relief grants are now open for eligible commercial greenhouse operators.

The applications will be accepted until March 29, 2019.

Commercial producers of B.C. vegetables, ornamental flowers and plants, forest seedlings and nursery plants are eligible to apply for the grant, providing they:

  •  had sales exceeding $20,000 in 2018;
  •  used natural gas or propane to heat their greenhouses or produce CO2; and
  •  had a production area greater than 455 square metres.

The release notes cannabis is not an eligible crop at any phase of production, including propagation.

The grant covers 80 per cent of the carbon tax that commercial greenhouse growers paid on the natural gas and propane they used for heating and CO2 production in 2018.

The release also highlights the importance of the greenhouse sector, explaining over 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse vegetables are grown per year through the B.C greenhouse sector, for about 10 months of the year on about 300 hectares of land.

Additionally. B.C.’s floriculture and nursery industries grow more than 80 million cut flowers and over 50 million potted plants a year.

For more information and to apply, click here.