Strychnine: Minister Sigurdson

February 02, 2026 Media inquiries

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson issued a statement on the federal rejection of strychnine for emergency pest management.

“I am deeply disappointed that the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has rejected Alberta and Saskatchewan’s emergency use registration for two per cent liquid strychnine and urge them to reconsider this decision.

“Alberta’s producers are facing significant challenges when managing Richardson’s ground squirrels (RGS) and the loss of this effective control method is devastating for many across the agriculture sector. The annual risk to hay and native pastures exceeds $800 million and the risk of this exploding RGS population is detrimental to farms and ranches across the country. The downstream effect will also contribute to the ongoing food affordability and security crisis we are facing in Canada.