A federally funded program that pays private landowners to trap and remove feral swine was associated with a decline in cornfield damage in participating counties, according to research by agricultural economists at the University of Tennessee and the University of Arkansas, as Congress considers expanding the program's budget by $150 million through 2031.
Federal hog control program cut cornfield damage, researchers find, as Congress weighs more funding
A federally funded program that pays private landowners to trap and remove feral swine was associated with a decline in cornfield damage in participating counties, according to research by agricultural economists at the University of Tennessee and the University of Arkansas, as Congress considers expanding the program's budget by $150 million through 2031.
Feral swine roam in 35 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The most recent population estimate, from 2016, put the number at 7 million animals nationally. Because feral hogs breed year-round and can produce up to two litters of four to 12 piglets per litter each year, the current population may be higher; populations have been estimated to be capable of doubling in four months.
The USDA estimates feral pigs cause between $2.5 billion and $3.4 billion in property damage annually, with at least $800 million attributed to crop destruction. The animals also spread disease to livestock, damage farm infrastructure including fences and roads, harm recreational parks, and degrade wildlife habitats, water quality, and plant ecosystems.
The 2018 Farm Bill allocated $75 million for a coordinated control effort active in selected counties across 10 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. Starting in 2020, the USDA used those funds to support landowners' purchases of trapping equipment, on-farm trapping operations, and restoration of damaged land.
Originally set to end in 2023, the program received an additional $105 million through 2029 in a budget and immigration package Congress passed in July 2025. The government is accepting grant applications for the first $35 million of that allocation through Sept. 21, 2026. A Farm Bill that has passed the House and awaits Senate debate would add $150 million more and extend the program through 2031.
The researchers compared federal crop insurance claims for wildlife damage in counties where the program operated against counties where it did not, both before and after the trial began. Among counties that reported wildlife crop damage, those without the program averaged 70 acres per policy for corn damage. Counties with active hog control efforts averaged 10 acres per policy — a result the researchers described as statistically significant. No statistically significant difference was found for soybeans, wheat, cotton, or peanuts.
The researchers said the program's overall effectiveness may have been constrained because it launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited community meetings and outreach that could have increased landowner participation. They also noted that the pilot nature of the effort may have discouraged long-term commitment from some landowners. The study did not measure changes in non-crop damage such as harm to property, livestock, parks, or the environment, and excluded damage too minor to generate an insurance claim, factors the researchers said likely mean their findings underestimate the program's full benefits.
- The source does not state the total number of counties included in the study or the full geographic scope of the crop insurance data analyzed.
- The source does not provide the specific years covered by the before-and-after comparison.
- The source does not explain why corn was the only crop to show a statistically significant reduction, beyond noting that corn is reportedly the crop most commonly damaged by feral swine.
- The source does not state whether the USDA or any other federal agency has independently evaluated the program's effectiveness or responded to the research findings.
- The source does not indicate how much of the original $75 million was spent or what share of eligible landowners in the 10 states participated.
- The source does not state the current population of feral hogs, only that the 2016 figure of 7 million 'may be much higher today.'
Read the original at The Conversation