Survey Finds Pesticide Price Advantages On Both Sides of
U.S./Canada Border

A survey that compared retail herbicide prices in Montana and Alberta last August found price advantages on both sides of the border, depending on the product.

The price of 14 pesticides (13 herbicides and one insecticide) available in both Alberta and Montana were identified by Alberta and Montana agricultural chemical experts as having formulations that are identical or very similar. Prices on both sides of the border were gathered over the last two weeks of August in a survey from 32 randomly selected ag dealers in northern Montana and 14 ag chemical dealers in southern Alberta, representing a one-point-in-time snapshot of prices.

In Montana, the survey was administered by the Montana State University Agricultural Marketing Policy Center in collaboration with the Montana Department of Agriculture. In Alberta, the survey was administered by the Pest Risk Management Unit of the Crop Diversification Division of Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

The price difference for each chemical as a percentage of the U.S. average price for the chemical is shown in the last column of the following table. In three cases, the price differences are relatively small and amount to less than 6% of the U.S. price (Mirage/Roundup Original; Clarity/Banvel II; Achieve SC/Achieve Liquid).

In eight cases, the price differences were in the range of 19 to 31% of the U.S. price. For one chemical, Ally XP (Ally Toss and Go in Canada), the Canadian price was about 60% higher than the U.S. price. Conversely, for another chemical, Starane + Salvo (Attain in Canada), the Canadian price was about 56% lower than the U.S. price.

Full survey details are described in Agricultural Marketing Policy Paper No.4, “Agricultural Chemical Prices in Alberta and Montana: A Case Study of Alberta and Montana.” This is available on the Agricultural Marketing Policy Center website at ampc.montana.edu by clicking on the “publications” button.

Agricultural Chemicals in Montana and Alberta: U.S. Dollar Prices and Price Differences Adjusted for Differences in Formulations

Chemical1	Units	U.S. Price (U.S. $)2	Canadian Price (U.S. $)2	Percentage Price Difference3
No statistically significant difference in average prices
Mirage Roundup Original	Gallon	$20.94	$21.68	-3.5%
Average price statistically significantly different
Montana Prices Lower
LV 6 2,4-D Ester LV 600	Gallon	$19.36	$23.22	-19.9%
Amine 4 2,4-D Amine 500	Gallon	$12.16	$15.05	-23.8%
Clarity Banvel II	Gallon	$93.47	$96.85	-3.6%
Ally XP Ally Toss, Go	Ounce	$23.27	$37.37	-60.6%
Warrior/Zeon Matador 120 EC	Gallon	$282.76	$361.54	-27.9%
Alberta Prices Lower
Touchdown Touchdown IQ	Gallon	$31.28	$23.22	25.8%
Bronate Advanced Buctril M	Gallon	$59.43	$44.94	24.4%
Starane + Salvo Attain	Gallon	$49.57	$21.96	55.7%
Achieve SC Achieve Liquid	Gallon	$220.85	$208.37	5.7%
Discover Horizon 240EC	Gallon	$496.37	$448.31	9.7%
Everest Everest	Ounce	$23.45	$17.50	25.4%
Puma 1EC Puma 120 Super	Gallon	$181.33	$128.97	28.9%
Express XP Express Toss, Go	Ounce	$18.63	$14.82	20.5%

¹ Canadian product formulation listed second in italics

² Per unit prices based on prices reported for small containers (2.5 gal containers in Montana, 10 liter containers in Alberta).

³ Negative sign indicates lower U.S. price, no negative sign indicates higher U.S. price.