What cost Louisiana farmers an estimated 74-million dollars in 2013? It wasn't fuel. It wasn't machinery. It wasn't even unnecessary government regulation. It was feral pigs.

That's right wild pigs are doing that much damage to Louisiana agriculture. That dollar amount is actually higher than what the LSU AgCenter originally projected.

Shaun Tanger is an economist with LSU and he told the Louisiana Radio Network that the damage to crops was estimated at 53-million dollars.

Then we also have an additional 21.3 million in damage for what we call non-production losses.

Tanger explained those non-production losses were the cost of replanting crops and repairing damage done to pasture lands and fields.

Officials estimate Louisiana's feral hog population to be about half a million. It appears that the heaviest concentration of wild pigs can be found in the south central part of the state as well as the northeast corner.

The damage estimate of 74-million dollars was based on agriculture only. Chances are the wild pigs have cost Louisiana businesses and homeowners even more since this survey only took into account information obtained from Louisiana farmers.

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