Ag News

UGA: Wild pigs are costing Georgia farmers

Weather, disease and pests aren’t the only things that can wreak havoc on Georgia’s agricultural industry. New University of Georgia research in Southwest Georgia found wild pigs to be a startling cause of damage on peanut, cotton and corn crops and farms.

Researchers from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources say that these invasive animals have the potential to create financial and environmental losses, but there are ways for farmers to minimize the damage.

“Unfortunately, these pigs and their impact go just beyond what you might think,” said Justine Smith, lead author of the study and a doctoral student at UGA. “They impact our native wildlife and plants, both directly and indirectly. They’re incredibly disruptive. They cause a lot of damage.”

In viewing thousands of acres of damaged fields and wild pig activity in Southwest Georgia, the researchers found an estimated $107,000 in crop value lost per year, not including money lost in worker wages or equipment. Wild pigs uproot the seeds of crops, trample plants and sometimes even chew through parts of farming equipment.

Culling and trapping cut down on the number of pigs in the area, the researchers said. But it was still hard to keep up with the pigs’ high birth rate.

The researchers say policymakers need to invest in proactive elimination methods to stay ahead of the wild pig populations and their resulting harm.

“You can’t take your foot off the pedal. If there hadn’t been continuous removal, we can think about how much more damage there would be. It speaks to the fact that these agriculture-based landscapes need more boots on the ground,” Smith said.

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