NEW supplies of 1080 impregnated oat baits are now available to landholders to control wild dogs and foxes on their property.
The Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) manufactured the baits as a one-off measure to ensure supplies are available while 1080 bait production was commercialised.
According to DAFWA invasive species director Viv Read the department had enough stock available for sale to retailers until late 2013, based on average sales figures.
By 2013, DAFWA was hoping a commercial tender would be set up.
But growers were concerned DAFWA was providing a short-term solution to a long-term problem, particularly with the price of 1080 baits set to skyrocket under a commercial tender.
Gingin sheep producer Stephen Slater was seriously worried about the 1080 manufacturing going commercial.
"The baits at the moment are $4 each but they are likely to double or triple that," Mr Slater said.
"I don't think farmers are going to pay higher prices just so someone else can make a profit.
"What will happen is they will take the hit with lambing losses, but the biggest loser in that regard will be the wildlife."
Mr Slater said farmers who were using 1080 to protect wildlife, as well as their stock, should be demanding baits for free.
"They give millions of dollars out in grants for growers for revegetation and fence off wetlands, what about giving them a few free baits when they are so cheap to make?
"It costs DAFWA $8 per 100 baits to produce and they sell them for $25 per 100."
Although there were a range of poison bait products on the market to control wild dogs, foxes and rabbits, Mr Slater said 1080 was the only affordable one that worked.
He said the meat baits from the Eastern States, such as Fox-Off, were $30 each and he believed they were ineffective.
Mr Slater told Farm Weekly in August the baits didn't kill foxes and had heard of one fox taking up to 26 baits.
And according to DAFWA invasive species project manager Tamrika Lanoiselet most Eastern States-produced baits had not even been tested in WA conditions.
"While the research centre at DAFWA is looking at completing an efficacy study on the Eastern States' baits there is no data to compare how they work in the field in WA," she said.
On hearing the Eastern States products hadn't been tested in WA, Mr Slater was disgusted.
"This is absolutely ridiculous and it just shows farmers aren't making up the fact they don't work," he said.
"I cant understand why more farmers aren't kicking up a fuss about the mess of the 1080 baits in WA."
Mr Slater said many farmers had already stopped baiting when DAFWA increased the red tape around 1080.
"When 1080 is commercialised that red tape is probably going to increase," he said.
"Farmers have already stopped baiting and when you start making them jump through more hoops it is going to get worse."
Mr Slater said many growers wouldn't even mind about the extra red tape if they could get their baits for no cost or at least market price.
"Even if you had to go on a day course which educated you about how to get the most out of the baits and then you got them for free would be better, but that isn't going to happen under commercial tender," he said.
