A new study from the LSU AgCenter finds that feral hogs cost Louisiana farmers 91-million dollars annually. LSU AgCenter animal scientist Glen Gentry says in 2015 the annual damage figure was 74-million dollars.
“As the population increases, we are seeing a subsequent increase in damage,” said Gentry.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries estimates nearly one-million feral hogs live in the state. Gentry says annual production losses were greatest for sugarcane, rice, corn, hay and soybeans.
“They go in and eat soybean plants, the knock corn down, they eat corn, so its just a bad situation all the way around,” said Gentry.
The losses ranged from seven-million dollars for the timber industry and nearly 15-million dollars for sugarcane.
Gentry says feral swine generally prefer to stay away from humans, but their rapidly expanding population and constant search for food sources is causing increasing interactions with farmers and foresters.
“They are dangerous creatures, not only aggressive if piglets around when the sow is there, but also from the disease standpoint,” said Gentry.
Gentry says it’s estimated about 70 to 75 percent of the population must be harvested to control the feral swine numbers, but in Louisiana, hunters kill less than half of the population. so it continues to grow.
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