By Julie Tomascik
Editor

The feral hog population is expanding at an alarming rate in the Lone Star State, leaving farmers and ranchers facing thousands of dollars in damages each year. That’s what one rancher told a Senate Committee this month, testifying in support of more tools to help control and eradicate the invasive species.

Feral hogs cause Texas agriculture more than $230 million in losses annually, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey.

“Hunting and trapping alone can’t control them,” Mickey Edwards, a Lampasas County rancher, said. “We need more tools for this fight.”

The Senate Finance Committee hearing was focused on the Texas Department of Agriculture’s budget, including a budget rider from 2017 attached to the appropriations bill. The rider prevents the state agency from registering any warfarin toxicant to control feral hogs.

Warfarin underwent a federal review and was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the process, EPA updated the label, removing unnecessary restrictions and providing more clarity for applicators.

“The concerns raised about the safety of this product have been shown to be unfounded based on additional university studies,” Edwards, who serves as Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) district 8 state director, said.

Mickey Edwards testifies before a Senate Committee on the damage feral hogs cause Texas agriculture

Toxicant baits like warfarin are a viable next step and effective tool landowners should have the option to use, TFB and other agricultural organizations noted.

With the feral hog population on the rise, the threat to fields, pastures, water sources and livestock also increases.

The invasive species can degrade water quality and introduce E. coli, making the water unsafe to drink. They also pose a threat to livestock and wildlife, preying on small animals.

“A budget rider was proposed in the bill patterns for the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service that prohibits the use of warfarin-based feral hog toxicants that can be used to control the population growth of feral hogs,” Texas Farm Bureau Associate Legislative Director Harold Stone said. “But we hope the budget rider will be deleted from the bill patterns of the appropriation bill for these agencies, and that will allow them to spend appropriation money to research and certify these products that can be used for feral hog control by landowners.”