Opinion: Support Connecticut farmers: exempt agriculture from highway use tax

On the shut of the 2021 legislative session, the Connecticut Basic Meeting accredited Governor Lamont’s proposal to impose a freeway use tax on vans, now referred to as HUT. On the outset of this proposal, the Connecticut Farm Bureau (CFBA) argued in opposition to its implementation and provided language to exempt agriculture-related automobiles.

Quick ahead to at the moment, Connecticut farmers, who’re on the very starting of the meals provide chain, have been hit by unprecedented enter prices not skilled by the agricultural business in many years. Fertilizer accounts for about 15% of farm manufacturing prices and its value have elevated 100 – 300% over the calendar 12 months.  Seed, hay, and small grain seed have elevated by 32%. Crop manufacturing provides like poly for hoop homes and plastic containers utilized by the greenhouse and nursery industries have elevated as much as 50%. Diesel gasoline, utilized in farm tractors, equipment and transportation has elevated 62% within the final twelve months. Provide chain disruptions and labor shortages have additional affected the beginning of the rising season. That is all occurring whereas the state’s fiscal scenario has utterly modified for the higher.

Just lately, the Governor and the legislature took much-needed motion in pausing the fuel tax for the following few months. Whereas this motion was wanted desperately, Connecticut farmers are unlikely to see any profit from this motion as a result of it doesn’t apply to the diesel which powers most farm tools. In the meantime, Connecticut is predicted to obtain $5.38 billion over the following 5 years from the federal Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act and but the state remains to be planning to completely implement HUT in January of 2023.

CFBA lately delivered a letter signed by over 500 Connecticut farmers, farm companies, and agricultural commerce organizations requesting an agricultural exemption from the tax to the Governor and Legislative Management.

As the chief director of CFBA, I noticed our farmers work all through the pandemic, making meals accessible and accessible. Native farm shops and stands had been usually one of many few locations a household felt comfy searching for recent produce. Farmers donated merchandise to these in want, offered roadside pick-up and opened their farms for pick-your-own. Connecticut’s farmers rose to the event after they had been wanted probably the most.

Implementing the Freeway Use Tax and making it relevant to the agriculture neighborhood in Connecticut is an pointless cash seize at this level. The Connecticut Farm Bureau asks the Basic Meeting to pay it ahead this legislative session to the Connecticut farmers who stored their farms working and meals on the cabinets all through the pandemic. Let’s present the Connecticut farming neighborhood how a lot we care about them and their essential companies in our state by exempting agriculture automobiles from this onerous tax.

Joan Nichols is the chief director of the Connecticut Farm Bureau