The federal government is temporarily allowing use of the rodent poison strychnine in Alberta and Saskatchewan, as those provinces grapple with gopher infestations.
The head of the Saskatchewan Wheat Board, Jocelyn Velestuk, calls this relaxation of the rules a good first step. She says strychnine is a critical tool for reducing crop damage caused by the rodents. Ken Coles with Farming Smarter believes if the stewardship of the poison is used properly, the risk to crops will be minimal to none.
As part of an official statement from the province, Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, RJ Sigurdson, says, “We are working to procure supply and full implement the agreement as soon as possible, and we will continue to work closely with farmers and ranchers across the province in the coming days to share more information.”
“We remain committed to finding pest management alternatives that will protect both our agriculture sector and rural infrastructure from the impacts of agricultural pests.”
Ottawa banned strychnine in 2024, citing risks it posed to other wildlife that eat poisoned carcasses.