.jpg)
Conservative Agriculture Critic John Barlow and Canadian Federation of Agriculture President Keith Currie are calling on the federal Liberal government to approve the emergency use of strychnine as a way to deal with the increased number of gophers or Richardson’s ground squirrels (RGS) across the Prairies.
The call comes as farmers and rural municipalities continue to report severe damage to cropland and pastureland. In 2024 alone, the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) paid out $10.6 million in gopher-related claims, covering 123,000 acres with average losses of $86 per acre.
"We had a really dry summer in many parts of the Prairies," said Barlow. "The gopher population has just exploded. It was rough last year, but this year, certainly very poignant with the impact that the gophers have had not only on crops, but also grazing land. You walk into your fields and see entire acreages decimated by gopher populations. This is having an impact on the economic viability of farms and will affect the availability of commodities for consumers."
Barlow emphasized that farmers have used strychnine safely and effectively for decades, and that current alternatives are less effective, more dangerous, and more time-consuming.
"Strychnine is by far the most efficient and effective remedy for the gopher population. Every year that goes by without access to this critical tool, the consequences worsen for Western Canadian farmers."
The call for emergency approval is backed by Alberta and Saskatchewan’s agriculture ministers, who have formally requested federal permits to address the crisis before next spring.
"When you have the two provincial governments of the largest grain-growing regions in Canada asking for emergency access, this is clearly a priority," Barlow said.
Keith Currie, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, echoed the urgency of the situation.
"We've had discussions with the (Federal) Minister of Agriculture's office on this, and they certainly understand the problem. We're pushing to have that emergency use put in place for strychnine."
Currie also highlighted the lack of consultation and viable alternatives when pest control products are banned.
"Quite often, when governments look to ban a pest control product, it's done without a lot of consultation. Strychnine is a prime example of that. There’s not an alternative option that's effective and cost-efficient for producers to use."
Currie says the gopher population was one of the big topics discussed during his trips out west this summer.
"Farmers are facing real challenges, and they need effective tools."
Barlow is calling for reforms to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to ensure economic impacts and viable alternatives are considered in future regulatory decisions.
"The PMRA must take a hard look at whether the cancellation was justified," he said. "Does the science back it up? Does the economic impact back it up? Are there alternatives? In this case, the answer is NO."