Editorial: Feral pigs continue to cause problems

Louisiana has been given $3 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help the state eliminate as many as possible of the 700,000 to 900,000 feral pigs in the state. Mike Strain, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, told The Advocate that feral swine can destroy entire crop fields, costing Louisiana farmers around $100 million every year. Feral swine multiply rapidly, making it hard for farmers and conservation officials to control their populations. Glen Gentry, a researcher with the LSU AgCenter, said, “It’s a logarithmic increase in population. The populations are exploding, causing substantial damage to our agronomics.” Strain said in order to effectively control the feral swine in Louisiana, around 90% of the pigs in the state would need to be captured or killed every year. Around 450,000 pigs are taken out every year but it’s still not enough.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.