Agricultural News
Oklahoma's Troy Marshall is Hunting Feral Swine Numbers
Wed, 18 Aug 2021 08:25:43 CDT
If you have been around a farmer or rancher long enough, you have probably heard them talk (badly) about feral swine. Descendants of escaped or released pigs, first brought to North America in the 1500s by Europeans, these not-so-sweet piggies are a dangerous, destructive, invasive species today.
Oklahoma Statistician for the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service Troy Marshall is hunting feral swine with pen and paper, across the state. Two branches of the USDA - NASS and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) - are teaming up to collect feral hog information.
"We're specifically focusing on livestock producers," Marshall said. "(The survey) will try to measure how much damage there is in Oklahoma, due to feral swine."
Marshall said his office knows feral swine damage to livestock producers in Oklahoma is significant but getting an accurate count of feral swine populations in Oklahoma will enable NASS to better assess the actual impact. The first step in truly identifying the problem is getting agriculture producers onboard.
"We're going to be contacting just under 1,700 producers - asking some questions about their losses," Marshall said.
Marshall suggests that producers facing issues with feral swine reach out to APHIS's wildlife service department employees, who are working with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF), by clicking or tapping here.
Hit the LISTEN BAR below to hear KC and Troy Marshall's whole conversation.
Photo credit: USDA
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