Senate weighs tripling federal funds to curb feral hog damage across 35 states

Feral hogs roam across 35 U.S. states, inflicting between $2.5 billion and $3.4 billion in property damage each year, with at least $800 million hitting crops. A 2018 Farm Bill provision earmarked $75 million to encourage collaborative trapping in ten states, a pilot later extended to 2029 with an additional $105 million. A study by agricultural economists at the University of Tennessee and the University of Arkansas compared crop-insurance claims and discovered that corn damage dropped dramatically—from an average of 70 acres to 10 acres per policy—in counties where the program was active, while soybeans, wheat, cotton and peanuts showed no measurable benefit.

The research notes that pandemic-related limits on outreach may have muted the program’s impact and that unclaimed minor losses are not captured in the data. The House-approved Farm Bill now seeks a further $150 million increase and an extension to 2031, a proposal currently under Senate consideration. Scholars argue that focusing resources on corn-heavy regions and boosting farmer participation could amplify the program’s effectiveness against the rapidly reproducing hog population.