Farmers are reporting a fresh surge in feral pig numbers, prompting a call to escalate funding to fight the state’s feral pig problem.
NSW Farmers Vice President and Moree farmer Rebecca Reardon says the New England is no exception.
“Feral pigs are affecting farmers right across NSW, including in the New England region and North West region.” said Ms Reardon.
“More than 99,000 feral pigs have been culled by the LLS across the state since October 2023, but this is just a drop in the ocean compared to an estimated number of up to the 100 million pigs in Australia.”
NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said with the state budget set to be handed down in just a few weeks’ time, there was a golden opportunity for funding to get feral pigs under control as numbers explode across the state.
“There’s reports of feral pigs weighing well over 100 kilograms charging through the paddocks, trashing food crops and killing calves and lambs at the drop of a hat,” Mr Martin said.
“These pests are bigger than the people trying to control them – and they are costing landholders many thousands of dollars in lost production and control costs that they simply can’t keep up with.
“They’re superspreaders of disease and reproduce at a rate that means we need to cull many millions a year to break the breeding cycle, so we have a fight on our hands that we simply can’t face alone.”
NSW Farmers say more needs to be done, and now.
“Farmers are already spending significant money on baiting, trapping and shooting programs but it lacks coordinated regional responses.” said Ms Reardon.
“If we are to really shift the dial, we really need controllers and coordinators at a local level that are supported by the state government.”
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