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Helping farmers

Nearly 1,000 greenhouse vegetable producers will benefit from new electricity rates shortly, the government confirmed on Friday.

All greenhouse producers whose consumption equals 50 kilowatts / hour will benefit from a rate of 5.59 cents per kilowatt / hour (kW / h). Previously, this tariff was offered only for producers whose power was at least 300 kW.

The announcement was made Friday by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonatan Julien, and his colleague from Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, André Lamontagne, along with the CEO of Hydro- Quebec, Sophie Brochu, and the president of Quebec Greenhouse Producers, André Mousseau.

A request to this effect will be filed with the Régie de l’énergie, which is responsible for deciding whether or not to authorize this new rate, but Minister Jonatan Julien said he has confidence that it will be accepted while stressing the independence of this administrative court.

This new rate would allow greenhouse producers to save as much as 40% on their annual energy cost, or approximately $ 30,000 on annual consumption at a price of $ 75,000.

The Legault government has committed to doubling the area of ​​greenhouse cultivation in Quebec.

For the owners of the Vegetable Shelter, a vegetable farm in the Eastern Townships, Frédéric Jobin-Lawler and Annie Lévesque, the Quebec announcement is “a good thing for [leurs] current installations ”.

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Frédéric Jobin-Lawler and Annie Lévesque from L'Abri vegetal de culture bio en greenhouse welcome the new electricity rates announced Friday by the government.

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Frédéric Jobin-Lawler and Annie Lévesque from L’Abri vegetal de culture bio en greenhouse welcome the new electricity rates announced Friday by the government.



Three-phase lines

They deplore, however, that the three-phase power lines, necessary to carry a sufficient quantity to meet the industrial needs of a farm, do not yet reach theirs.

“Expansion projects on a family scale to grow beautiful and succulent organic vegetables in the ground in winter have been underway for two years, but to do this, we will need a boost from Hydro-Québec to ‘route the three-phase which is currently about 1 km from us,’ they explain.

In this regard, the Minister of Agriculture, André Lamontagne, recalled that the government had set aside $ 15 million to further deploy its three-phase network in the province. Additional sums could also be added, he said.

Québec member for solidarity Christine Labrie reacted by insisting on the importance of improving this envelope dedicated to the deployment of the three-phase network in the province.

“[Today’sannouncementremainsashystepbecausetherealityisthatmanyproducersdonotevenhaveaccesstohydroelectricityandstillhavetoheattheirgreenhouseswithfossilfuels”saidsheinapressrelease[L’annonced’aujourd’huiresteunpastimideparcequelaréalitéc’estqueplusieursproducteursn’ontmêmepasaccèsàl’hydroélectricitéetdoiventencorechaufferleursserresavecdescombustiblesfossiles »indique-t-elleparvoiedecommuniqué

– With Francis Halin, Le Journal de Montréal

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