27 January 2026. Shane McCarthy, AgForce General President.
It's great to share some good news with you this week after the challenges that mother nature has thrown at us to kick off the new year.
This week's column really points to the power of advocacy, and the strength of AgForce's collective voice representing more than 5500 members throughout the state.
Feral pigs wreak havoc across the Queensland landscape, and represent a year-round biosecurity hazard for producers. Those associated risks rise significantly during flood events such as what's happened in the state's north west.
Feral pigs do immense damage to the environment. They directly limit Ag production by damaging pastures and infrastructure, spreading disease, disrupting stock management, and causing sustained damage to soils, waterways and the broader landscape.
So AgForce wrote to State Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett, bringing to his attention a crucial opportunity to strengthen controls on feral pigs while they gather in growing numbers on islands formed by those recent floods.
Our previous experience and current field observations show that feral pig populations concentrate on the remaining high ground during flood events. In several catchments with particularly heavy inundations, our producers are reporting large, visible mobs sheltering above flood levels.
The idea is to take advantage of this, and reduce the pig population at a time when they are isolated in groups and easier to eradicate.
The feral pig population has to be reduced by two-thirds annually - otherwise their numbers keep increasing. That's a huge commitment to keep on top of, but a necessary one.
The great news is that when AgForce wrote to the relevant Minister raising these concerns, he responded quickly.
Chopper services in the region will now be engaged to shoot from the air, responding with all the appropriate skills. They will most probably be coordinated by local governments in combination with registered shooters who together will take advantage of this opportunity to get on top of feral pig numbers.
It's a quick humane way to reduce large numbers and it's fantastic that the state government has acted so decisively to take advantage of this rare window of action. It's one of the few benefits of the large scale flooding in the state's north west that we can take exploit of for the better of all.
By acting now we reduce pressure on recovering country, fencing, water infrastructure, pastures, and biosecurity outcomes at precisely the point where producers are most vulnerable and need our support.
It also has benefits from a cost and efficiency standpoint. Doing emergency aerial operations while the floods are receding means greater numbers can be removed in shorter time frames, and reduces the need for expensive ground-based operations. This lowers long-term costs for both producers and the State.
There's no doubt when we unite as one voice representing the interests of Queensland agriculturalists, we can achieve great things. We can start a conversation at a variety of forums.
It's the result of months and years of hard work establishing communication lines with departments and decision makers, so that when opportunities arise, we can collectively take action.
Because Every Family Needs a Farmer.
