Farmers Call for Drastic Action Over Feral Pig ‘Crisis’

Feral pigs are out of control across parts of New South Wales (NSW), with farmers calling for more resources to reduce the numbers.

Mixed crop and sheep farmer Laurie Chaffey said she was unable to control the pest despite culling the feral animals on her property at Somerton, near Tamworth.

“We don’t feel we can get on top of it,” she said.

The northern NSW farmer has had lambs killed by feral pigs, while in the video seen by AAP, the pests brazenly feed alongside her flock.

Chaffey said about 30 feral pigs were being trapped or killed each week on her property.

“Sometimes you get more and other times you get less, and they reproduce really quickly because we’ve had a good season,” she told AAP.

NSW Farmers is calling for more resources to combat the explosion in feral pig numbers, which it says is at a crisis level.

President Xavier Martin said years of high rainfall had resulted in millions of feral pigs breeding, causing millions of dollars in damage.

He said the increase meant more attacks on native animals and livestock, as well as massive damage to crops and infrastructure.

On average, properties were losing about half a hectare in crops each night, he said.

“From the Western Riverina through the Central West and up into the Northern Tablelands, we’re hearing members tell us they’ve never seen pigs this bad before,” Martin said.

“Aerial shooting over the past year saw 80 per cent more pigs culled than the year before, and authorities have distributed 74 tonnes of baits to landholders, but the numbers continue to grow, particularly on public land.

“It’s clear the pig numbers are growing out of control now, and we need a drastic and sustained increase in resources for everyone involved to get on top of the problem once and for all.”

Martin said the Local Land Service had helped cull more than 63,000 feral pigs in the past year, but a lack of pest control on public lands was allowing pig numbers to flourish.

NSW Farmers say a government-funded feral pig eradication program, due to wind up on June 30, must be extended.

“We know the pigs are breeding in national parks and other public land because we see them coming onto our farms from there,” Martin said.