Producers of pregnant mare’s urine are enjoying calm after the storm.
Three years ago, there were more than 400 PMU producers on the Canadian Prairies and in North Dakota, but declining demand for drugs derived from the urine prompted cutbacks that would eventually leave only 73 PMU producers in the industry.
The past year was reasonably good for those who remained and it appears the industry will be stable for at least another year, said Kirk Bridgeman, a PMU producer and president of the Manitoba Equine Ranching Association.
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Producers have signed their contracts with Wyeth Organics for the coming collection season. The contracts are similar to a year ago, with a slight price increase. Wyeth buys the urine to produce products that treat symptoms of menopause in women.
“I’m an optimist,” said Bridgeman, describing the outlook for producers. “I think it looks good.”
The cutbacks of a couple of years ago left 55 PMU ranchers in Manitoba, 15 in Saskatchewan, three in North Dakota and none in Alberta.
PMU ranchers gain revenue by selling weanling horses. There are about 5,600 mares on PMU ranches, according to Norm Luba, executive director of the North American Equine Ranching Information Council.
Fall sales of those weanlings were to start in early September. Weanling prices range between $200 and more than $2,500 and are influenced by quality and whether the horses are registered.
