Galicia's maize growers urge emergency measures as wild boar damage exceeds €10 million

The Galician farmers' union Unións Agrarias (UU AA) has called on the regional government (Xunta) to declare a temporary wildlife emergency in the corn‑growing areas most affected by wild boar. The union says the animals are causing recurring damage estimated at over €10 million a year, potentially reaching €14 million, especially to forage corn that covers about 70 000 ha in A Coruña and Lugo. UU AA argues that current reactive hunting is insufficient and proposes preventive actions such as risk‑area mapping, coordinated culling schedules, deterrent feeding, and the use of trap cages at no cost to farmers. Reports show a 40 % rise in boar‑damage notifications over six campaigns despite a 41 % increase in hunting days and a 12 % rise in hunting effort.

The union stresses that the damage jeopardises the viability of family farms and the regional livestock sector, and it seeks a collaborative plan involving the Xunta, local municipalities, and landowners to act during the critical sowing and maturation periods of the corn crop.