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🇦🇺 Australia /Environment & Climate

Feral pigs raid NSW farms, tearing up hectares of agricultural land

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Farmers in inland New South Wales, Australia, are experiencing significant damage to their land from feral pigs.
  • An estimated 20 million feral pigs in Australia cause over $100 million in annual damage to farmers.
  • Despite control programs, including aerial culling and trapping, pig activity remains a major concern for farmers struggling to protect their crops and pastures.

Farmers across inland New South Wales (NSW) are battling a severe infestation of feral pigs, which are causing extensive damage to agricultural land. Following an extended dry spell, the animals have been tearing up hectares of paddocks, particularly impacting hay crops and pastures vital for livestock.

We have had pig numbers in the past, but I haven't seen them this bad.

— Bruce FultonMr. Fulton described the current severity of the feral pig problem on his farm.

Bruce Fulton, a cattle farmer from Oberon, reported that approximately nine hectares of his land were destroyed by the pigs in just a few days last month. "I haven't seen them this bad," Fulton stated, describing deep divots in his hay paddocks that make the ground uneven and damage the pasture, making it more susceptible to weed invasion.

They have done substantial damage in the paddocks I grow hay in … [they make] deeper divots so the ground is no longer as level as it used to be.

— Bruce FultonMr. Fulton detailed the physical damage feral pigs are inflicting on his hay fields.

The Invasive Species Council estimates there are over 20 million feral pigs in Australia, costing farmers more than $100 million annually. The NSW Local Land Service (LLS) noted that dry conditions have intensified feral pig movement, forcing them to compete with livestock for food and water and to forage for protein in colder weather.

It damages the pasture so that there's no actual pasture growing in the areas that they've dug up, and it makes it more susceptible to weed invasion.

— Bruce FultonMr. Fulton explained the long-term impact of pig damage on his pastures.

While the LLS has undertaken control programs, including aerial culling and trapping, with over 1,400 pigs culled in recent operations near Mr. Fulton's property, the problem persists. Fulton expressed doubt about the effectiveness of traps, noting the pigs' intelligence in avoiding them. The NSW government has invested over $40 million in its Feral Pig and Pest Program since July 2023, but experts like Jack Gough, CEO of the Invasive Species Council, argue the current system is "ad hoc, thinly spread... and short-term," lacking a coherent strategy.

The NSW pig program is the textbook example of how not to do feral animal control.

— Jack GoughJack Gough, CEO of the Invasive Species Council, criticized the effectiveness of NSW's feral pig control efforts.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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