Climate, illnesses, and insects aren’t the sole factors that can disrupt Georgia’s farming sector. Recent research from the University of Georgia has uncovered that feral hogs are a surprising source of devastation to agricultural lands and crops.
Experts from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources indicate that these creatures can result in both economic and ecological detriments, yet there are strategies for farmers to reduce the adverse impact.
“Regrettably, these pigs and their effects extend beyond what one might anticipate,” noted Justine Smith, the principal author of the research and a doctoral candidate at UGA. “Their influence on our indigenous wildlife and flora is both direct and indirect. They are extraordinarily disruptive and inflict considerable harm.”
According to a new UGA study, farmers in Georgia face losses exceeding $100,000 due to damage from wild pigs. (Photo credit: Justine Smith)
Wild pigs cause chaos in rural regions, resulting in over $100K in destruction
Feral pigs are an introduced species that have been present in the United States since the 1500s. However, their destruction of crops has intensified in recent decades.
“Imagine a mouse or a rabbit and how swiftly and abundantly they reproduce. Now scale that up to a large mammal introduced in an environment without natural predators apart from humans,” Smith explained. “Wild pig populations have essentially skyrocketed, and this has been an escalating issue ever since.”
Smith, collaborating with The Jones Center at Ichauway as part of the Albany Areal Feral Swine Control and Eradication Pilot Project led by the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District alongside USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, aimed to measure the devastation, utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles across the southwestern regions of Georgia over two summers.
As feral pig numbers rise, so does the destruction caused by these invasive creatures, as illustrated here. (Photo credit: Justine Smith)
After assessing thousands of acres marked by destruction and wild pig activity, the team estimated an annual loss of approximately $107,000 in crop value.
“That sum is significant for these farmers, and that figure only reflects direct crop value,” stated Smith. “This doesn’t account for lost wages, equipment, or other unquantifiable costs yet. And this is just a small region within the broader national context.”
Feral pigs disturb the implanted seeds, trample young crops, and at times, even damage farming machinery.
This was typical for the peanut, cotton, and corn farms examined by the researchers. All of these crops play a crucial role in Georgia’s agriculture.
Feral pigs reproduce rapidly and lack natural predators, making them a challenging species to manage. (Photo credit: Justine Smith)
Population management shows results for farmers
Current initiatives aimed at controlling the wild pig population, however, have helped to keep the overall destruction costs lower than the researchers had projected.
Measures such as culling and trapping have reduced the number of pigs in the area, according to the experts. Still, it remains a struggle to keep pace with the swift reproduction rates of the pigs.
The researchers assert that policymakers must invest in proactive elimination strategies to mitigate the consequences brought on by wild pig populations.
“You cannot ease off the efforts. If there hadn’t been ongoing removals, imagine how much greater the damage would have been. This highlights the necessity for more boots on the ground in agriculture-focused areas,” emphasized Smith.
This investigation received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was co-authored by Warnell’s Michael Mengak, Roger Lowe, and Mike Conner.
The article Wild pigs are costing Georgia farmers first appeared on UGA Today.