The Texas Department of Agriculture recently awarded Texas AgriLife Extension Service $1 million for the agency's new Texas Feral Hog Control Program: Moving Towards a Long-Term Abatement Strategy.

"The feral hog population has exploded in Texas over the past 20 years," said Ag Commissioner Todd Staples. "This invasive species will destroy anything in its path from sorghum fields in the rolling plains to pastures in East Texas to plants in a suburban San Antonio landscape."

The grant will test the critical strategies developed to control the pest.

Texas is home to more than 2 million feral hogs -- the largest feral hog population in the U.S. -- and their numbers continue to increase due to high reproductive potential and a lack of natural predators.

Feral hogs wreak havoc on property, livestock, crops and pastures across the state and frustrate landowners because of their destructive nature. It is estimated the statewide annual economic damage caused by feral hogs is close to $52 million.

The 80th Legislature directed the funding following a $500,000 pilot project funded by the 79th Legislature. The pilot program was administered by Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Tech University through a TDA grant in 2006-07.

The pilot project succeeded in removing more than 3,000 feral hogs, saving landowners/agricultural producers nearly $3 million in losses.