County strychnine supplies limited

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strychnine sold by the county may be in short supply due to manufacturing shortages, and while the supply cost has increased due to a worsening exchange rate, the county has decided to keep prices steady. 

On April 29, the Wheatland County Agricultural Service Board (ASB) voted to maintain the current price of a case of strychnine for producers at $284.90, despite its supplier increasing unit costs to reflect changes in the Canadian dollar exchange rate.

The county sells the rodenticide to local producers for control of gopher (Richardson’s ground squirrel) populations, as provided by the provincial Pest and Nuisance Control Policy. The county previously paid $259 per case of two per cent liquid strychnine, but that price increased to $279 per case on April 20 by its supplier Agromax Distributors, which it said was done to account for worsening exchange rates.

“What I’m asking is that because we’ve been selling it at that (price), maintain that price for the rest of the year, so it’s fair for everyone,” said Russ Muenchrath, Wheatland County manager of agricultural services, prior to the vote on the motion.

Normal county policy is to charge cost plus 10 per cent, he said.

The decision was made despite potential future shortages of strychnine due to disruptions to its manufacturing supply chain, as reported by the county’s supplier.

Agromax, a Regina-based chemical supply company, produces its liquid strychnine solution with materials manufactured in India. As of April 15, because India is on “full lockdown” due to COVID-19, no factories there are operating. As a result, the company is no longer receiving the raw materials required to produce the product, explained Agromax president Brent Punga, in a letter sent to affected counties and municipal districts on March 26.

However, the company said it had “a small amount of raw materials in-house” and that it is “producing until we deplete our inventory,” wrote Punga. “We will try and get everyone, at least, some of what is on order.”

The county received 50 of 250 cases it ordered, said Muenchrath, who added he had already sold 150 cases to date. In response to the shortages, Muenchrath has been limiting sales to two cases per buyer, but rationing sales further may be necessary given the shortage.

“Currently I have a list of producers wanting it, and I don’t have enough product to maintain that to,” he said. “So, I am going through that list and looking at the acres, and then we will probably be dividing things up that way. So, it may be half a case or a case – for now anyway.

“We just had the last shipment in, so after this meeting I am going to start phoning producers to have them start coming in to get rid of it. I’m suspecting this could quite likely be it for the year, but who knows?”

Muenchrath is considering a fall sale of the product should supply be returned, so “producers could have some on hand and be ready for the spring,” he said.

“It’s not ideal, but that would help at least alleviate some of that spring rush.”