The Liberal government announced that it's changing the use of deferred cash purchase tickets for farmers. Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa MP Robert Sopuck explains the implications aren't good.

Robert Sopuck (file photo)"Let's say a farmer was delivering grain late in the year. He could receive cash the following calendar year," he says. "That helps stabilize income over the year and is quite a very efficient step from a tax-planning perspective. What the Liberals are proposing is to eliminate that."

Sopuck notes the deferred cash purchase tickets smoothe out income. If, for example, one year was a bumper year and the following turned out to be a poor farming year, farmers can spread out their income could between the two years to help them. In removing this, the ability to efficiently plan their cash-flow is eliminated.

He says farmers have been given the opportunity to send their feedback by May 24th, noting that's a serious problem. Sopuck explains farmers are seeding right now, putting public policy at the bottom of their concerns for the moment. He adds he's hoping the deadline will be extended but urges all farmers to contact the Liberal members of parliament, and not hesitate to contact minister of agriculture Laurence McCauley's office to speak against the change.

He says MPs Larry McGuire and James Bezan as well as others representing farming constituencies are putting on the pressure as well.

While Sopuck acknowledges an email from a tractor is somewhat difficult, he understands most tractors have phones. Even if you're on a tractor and seeding, you should get on the phone and find out the number of the nearest Liberal member of parliament, he says.

Sopuck says the concern for Manitoba farmers to engage in the consultation process is a great tool farmers have at their disposal to improve the flexibility of their operations.