Feral Hog Control Gets $52 Million in Federal Aid
Crop and livestock producers in 13 states will see federal money directed at feral hog populations that damage their operations.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Agriculture
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The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service awarded nearly $52 million for feral swine eradication projects across 13 states through the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. Five projects in Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee are among the recipients, with the funding aimed at reducing feral hog populations and the agricultural damage they cause.
Why it matters
Feral hogs damage cropland, pasture, and livestock operations, and the funding targets that loss at the source rather than leaving producers to absorb it alone. For farmers and ranchers in the affected states, reduced hog populations could lower crop losses and related costs over time.
The NRCS awarded nearly $52 million across 13 states, with Missouri's three projects totaling roughly $5.3 million and each Arkansas project receiving more than $1.49 million. The figures are award amounts, not measured outcomes, and the source does not provide a population baseline for the feral hog problem in these states.
The players
Natural Resources Conservation Service
The USDA agency that administers conservation programs and awarded the feral swine funding to local projects.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The federal department that oversees the NRCS and announced the nearly $52 million in feral swine eradication awards.
The details
The awards flow through the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program, which funds local projects designed to reduce feral hog populations. Because feral hogs root up fields and damage livestock operations, the projects are structured to cut the agricultural losses that producers in the funded areas currently bear. Five of the projects sit in Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: USDA funding announcement for feral swine eradication projects published.
Market Landscape
The Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program is the federal vehicle directing these awards, placing feral hog control inside a conservation-funding framework rather than leaving it to individual landowners. The distribution across 13 states indicates the program is being applied as a multi-state pilot rather than a single regional effort.
Producers in affected states should watch for local project activity and whether reduced hog pressure lowers crop and pasture losses. Livestock and crop operations facing hog damage may want to track project progress with their county conservation office.
The takeaway
The operating insight is that feral hog control is now being funded at the federal level as an agricultural-loss issue, which can change how producers budget for damage. Operators in Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee should check with their local NRCS office on how to participate in or benefit from the funded projects in their area.
Further reading
For more on the farm and livestock issues shaping producer costs, see Agriculture.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Brownfield Ag News.
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