Local greenhouse operators are calling foul over the province's Cap and Trade program.
At a news conference today at the Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce they spoke out about their concerns.
The chamber is calling for a deferral of the provincial pollution control program for at least a year until it's impact can be studied.
Greenhouse owner Gerry Mastronardi says there is an exemption, but only for the very large operators, which only make up a fraction of the 200 or more greenhouse operations in Ontario.
It's estimated the cost to the average greenhouse grower under 30 acres will be between $80 and $100,000.
Mastronardi says greenhouses don't get any benefit for the pollution reduction they do by capturing Carbon Dioxide from their natural gas heating systems: "there's not 100% emissions to the atmosphere so you're re-capturing a significant amount of CO2 for the plants to enhance growth quality and production. Where's the credit on that"
Guido van het Hof of Soave Agricultural Group (photo by AM800's Peter Langille)
Guido van het Hof of Soave Agricultural Group says there is no certainty about the real costs of Cap and Trade because credits aren't at a set price: "the auction price is going to be a function of supply and demand of the credits that have to be obtained so it is very un-transparent for us and it's difficult to quantify what eventually the economic impact is for us"
Mastronardi points out many greenhouse owners are either putting investment on hold or moving it to the US because of the competitive disadvantage Cap and Trade will have on top of the already high cost of energy in Ontario.
The complicated Ontario Cap and Trade program goes into effect in January.