“All I can say is thank God for sending us seed so early in the year,” he added.
However, Makgetla Makgata said he believed the police because the grain is fumigated for insects when loaded onto the train.
“It [takes] a few days to clear. I know what am talking about. I worked as grain grader before ... If you touch grain fumigated with [the substance], you will have a headache once you inhale it,” he said.
Dr Gerhard Verdoorn‚ director at Griffon Poison Information Centre, said the scenario offered by Makgata was possible.
“It could be that ... when loading grain onto trucks, there is something they use called phosphine gas. It is used to protect the grain, but, yes, it doesn’t have a long life and usually it is gone within a day or two. However, it can have a profound effect on humans and animals if the grain is consumed before the gas wears off,” he said.
“It can cause headaches, dizziness, shivering, vomiting, nausea and it can kill people,” Verdoorn added.