NC's Feral Swine Problem Worsens
NC Dept of Agriculture directed to find solutions
 It is no secret to the agriculture community that feral swine are a big problem. Their rooting and feeding habits damage crops, pasture lands, wildlife habitats, ponds, streams - the list is endless. They are an incredibly invasive species that, in North Carolina, have no real natural predators (aside from humans).
The millions of dollars worth of damage that feral pigs inflict on the environment could seem minuscule, however, if these pigs were to transmit disease to a commercial sow herd.
Feral swine carry many diseases including Pseudorabies, Brucellosis, and parasites. These diseases can spread to other livestock as well as domestic pets - even hunting dogs.
Over the last five years, of the more than 1,000 samples tested, only one feral hog killed in North Carolina tested positive for Pseudorabies (PRV) and it was in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But this spring, at least two feral hogs killed in Sampson County tested positive for PRV.
North Carolina's commercial swine population was declared PRV-free in 2000. As the second-largest hog producing state in the nation, the thought of a domestic hog contracting PRV is frightening. Just two farms testing positive for PRV in a 12-month period would threaten our PRV-free status. Losing that status would cripple NC's pork industry and have a detrimental effect on international exports for the entire U.S. pork industry.
Currently, North Carolina has an "open season" policy for feral swine - except for a few counties in western NC where the hogs are believed to be descendants of the Russian Boar. But only having an open season is not enough to control the population of wild pigs. In fact, experts say that feral swine must be killed at a rate of 70% just to maintain current populations because it is estimated that one feral sow ends up as 216 pigs.
Compounding the problem are reports of feral swine being smuggled across state lines and then released for hunting purposes. Feral swine in South Carolina and Georgia have had PRV and Brucellosis for years, so it is likely that the recent PRV-positive feral pigs found in eastern NC are the result of such a practice.
When NCPC found out about the PRV-positive tests, we met with top officials with the NC Wildlife Management Commission and the NC Department of Agriculture. We discovered that the laws that prohibit the importation of feral swine into the state are lax. Further, enforcement is nearly impossible the way the laws are currently written. In continued discussions with these agencies, it became evident that NC needs a very strict law to combat this importation issue as well as some new ideas as to how to control the population of pigs already here.
On June 11th, Governor Perdue signed into law House Bill 1118 which directs the NC Department of Agriculture to put together an official workgroup to explore this issue and then recommend action to the General Assembly in 2010.
The language of the bill is as follows:
The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in consultation with the Wildlife Resources Commission, the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, and a cross section of interested agricultural organizations, shall study issues related to the importation of feral swine in North Carolina, including the associated risks and potential economic impact of that importation. In the course of its study, the Department may consider population estimates, disease risks, and efforts that could be undertaken to mitigate any risks posed by feral swine to the ecosystem or the agricultural industry of the State, including an examination of enforcement issues and existing penalties for the illegal transportation of feral swine into and around the State. In conducting its study, the Department shall solicit input from the following, as well as any other persons or groups with expertise on the subject:
(1) Swine veterinarians working in the pork industry;
(2) Confinement operation- type swine farmers;
(3) Pasture-raised operation-type swine farmers; and
(4) Sportsmen.
The Department shall report its findings and recommendations, including any legislative proposals, to the Chairs of the House Agriculture Committee and the Senate Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee during the 2010 Regular Session of the 2009 General Assembly.
We are hopeful that this group will find some meaningful solutions to this ever-increasing problem.
If you know anyone who is thinking of illegally bringing feral swine into the state, please educate them about the risk to our commercial sow herds.
NCPC invites all involved in pork production to be a part of this swine study. If you have knowledge of importation of feral swine, experience in feral swine eradication and prevention, or any other information you think would be helpful, please contact Angie at the North Carolina Pork Council.
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Pig Diagnosed with H1N1 in Argentina
According to thepigsite.com, veterinary authorities have sent a report to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of influenza A H1N1 on a pig farm near Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The virus is believed to have spread from farm workers to the pig as the farm has its own restocking system and the last entry of animals occurred in July 2008. |
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Public Notice by NC Pork Council and the National Pork Board
The election of pork producer delegate candidates for the 2010 National Pork Producers (Pork Act) Delegate Body will take place at 9:00 a.m., Monday, July 27, 2009, prior to the National Pork Board Regional Strategic Vision Meeting at Sampson Community College (Room 144, Occupational Building) in Clinton, North Carolina. All North Carolina pork producers are invited to attend.
Any producer, who is a resident of the state and has paid all assessments due, may be considered as a delegate candidate and/or participate in the election. All eligible producers are encouraged to bring with them a sales receipt proving that hogs were sold in their name and the checkoff deducted. For more information, contact the NC Pork Council, 2300 Rexwoods Drive, Suite 340, Raleigh, NC 27607, telephone: 919-781-0361.
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Disaster Preparedness for Farmers & Animal Waste Operators
Monday, June 29, 2009
3:00-6:00pm
NCCES-Duplin County Center, Kenansville
Weather Spotting & Hurricanes
Code Red & Emergency Management
Basic Farm Preparedness
Program offers 2 1/2 hours waste credit
No charge for the program
Attendees must pre-register by contacting Wanda Hargrove at 910-296-2143
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News from WashingtonFind out what's going on in Washington that affects the pork industry. Click here to keep up to date on NPPC's press releases. |
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Didn't get a chance to voice your opinion at the public hearings on the EMC proposed monitoring rule?
There's still an opportunity to weigh in on the issue.
We encourage NCPC members to participate in the public comment period. Written comments can be submitted until July 15, 2009, to the following:
Keith Larick
Animal Feeding Operations Unit
Division of Water Quality
1636 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1636
keith.larick@ncdenr.gov
(919) 715-0588 - Fax
Background:
In 2007, the Waterkeepers Alliance petitioned the NC Environmental Management Commission seeking the development of rules to assess alleged water quality impacts from animal feeding operations.
In 2008, the EMC approved the petitions and directed the Division of Water Quality, with input from various stakeholder groups, to develop rules to establish and implement a surface water monitoring program addressing the petitioners concerns.
The proposed rules define the process for establishing sampling locations at EACH subject animal operation. Specifically, the proposed rule would require farmers to collect up to three samples per year from three different sites. The samples are intended to determine the level of animal waste discharged into drains, ditches, and streams. Farmers would need to contract with outside commercial laboratories and it would cost livestock farmers about $2,200 annually to comply.
Now the rule-making process has moved to the public comment period. That process includes the opportunity for any citizen to comment by submitting remarks to the Division of Water Quality.
If you have any questions or concerns on this issue, please contact Tommy Stevens at NCPC: 919/781-0361 or tommy@ncpork.org.
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