The balance of the great mobilization
With the latest demonstration in Sicily, they rise to fifty thousand farmers took to the streets in the Italian regions with three thousand tractors to say stop to the wild boars and ask for extraordinary containment plans to stop an invasion that devastates crops and puts citizens' lives at risk, in urban centers and in internal areas. It is the balance of the great mobilization that has affected the entire national territory drawn up by Coldiretti on the occasion of the demonstration in Palermo in front of the headquarters of the Sicilian Region which, after last week's demonstrations in Mestre and Naples, ideally closes a month of initiatives with the goal of containing the invasion of uncontrolled wildlife. On the island, the siege of wild boars has aggravated an already dramatic situation due to the drought. The presence of wild animals represents an unacceptable "tax" which costs agriculture around 200 million euros per year in direct and indirect damage. Damages that are only minimally reimbursed and often after many years, with a situation that has led many to report the attacks they have suffered. Among other things, the few compensations that arrive never cover the real value of the destroyed product or the killed animal. The expected responses have arrived from various regions with the adoption of the resolutions for the adoption of the extraordinary plans, as foreseen by the inter-ministerial decree approved last year and supported by Coldiretti. The measures were launched by Umbria, Puglia, Tuscany, Lazio, Emilia Romagna, Calabria, Marche, Veneto and Campania.
So many dangers
But commitments to adopt the requested measures also came from most of the administrations prompted by the protests. The objective is to contain the wild population, stopping incursions into the fields and securing the roads. In 2023, 170 road accidents with deaths and injuries caused by wild animals were recorded on the national road network, according to Coldiretti analysis on Asaps data, an increase of 8% compared to the previous year. But pig farms, from which the national pork butchery specialties arise, are also in danger. Wild boars, Coldiretti reports, are the main spreaders of African swine fever which, despite being harmless to humans, threatens the survival of companies. According to current rules, a sick boar found kilometers away from a stable is enough to trigger the decision to cull thousands of perfectly healthy pigs. The map of wild boars by region. Calabria is invaded by 300 thousand wild boars, but probably many more because it is not easy to have precise data, which in addition to devastating crops and causing road accidents, are a vehicle for the spread of swine fever and bovine tuberculosis. An uncontrolled proliferation facilitated by the presence of the three large national parks of Sila, Pollino and Aspromonte.
Farms at risk
In Lombardy there are an estimated 70 thousand wild boars which, while on the one hand devastating meadows, pastures, hay, corn, potatoes, small fruits, rice, vineyards and olive groves, on the other hand put pig farms at risk as carriers of African swine fever . Here too there is concern from citizens about the presence on the roads. In Puglia the damage caused by uncontrolled wildlife is enormous, with 250 thousand wild boars destroying crops and attacking men and farmed animals as well as in Lazio where the situation is out of control and unsustainable for both citizens, a few days ago the yet another death on the roads caused by the crossing of a wild boar, which for farmers, who saw their production devastated due to the presence of 250 thousand animals. In some cases the damage affects even more than 80% of the crop. Another of the most affected regions is Tuscany where around 200 thousand wild boars roam. At the top of the list of favorite and therefore most damaged crops are grapes, then corn and cereal fields, field beans and medical herbs used for livestock breeding. But they are also crazy about lentils and legumes, spelt and barley, chestnuts and open-field vegetables, ending with forest plants and sunflower crops.
The various regional situations
In Piedmont, the most damaged crops due to the 110 thousand animals present are arable land, permanent crops, meadows and pastures, with damage amounting to around 5 million euros. In Liguria, the areas most affected by the estimated 55 thousand wild boars are the mountainous and inland areas, even if the animals have now also reached the coasts for months. The incursions mainly concern horticultural companies with damage to crops and typical dry stone walls. In Umbria, with an estimated population of around 150 thousand wild boars, the situation is dramatic on the arable land front (especially for corn and sunflowers), but also on olive groves and vineyards (where damage from roe deer is also significant). Damage for millions also in Veneto where the 110 thousand animals devastate fields and vineyards. In the Marche region, between compensation for farms and road accidents, the Region spends around 2 million euros a year with an estimated 40 thousand wild boars in the area. According to a rough estimate, there are also over 40.000 wild boars in Molise, a number far from the two animals per square kilometer indicated for maintaining the balance of the ecosystem, while in Campania they have reached almost 60 thousand.
Colonized areas
In Basilicata there are 110 thousand wild boars with the most damaged crops being cereals, fruit plants, vineyards, vegetables, fodder and legumes. The areas in which the damage occurred most frequently and in greatest quantity are those near the parks. The situation is also critical in Sardinia, especially close to protected areas, due to the 100 thousand wild boars present. In Abruzzo they well exceed 100 thousand units and the situation is also serious in Emilia Romagna where at least 80 thousand specimens are estimated. In addition to the devastation of crops, there is fear of the spread of swine fever which threatens pig farms. Even in Sicily there is no area, especially the mountain ones, where the approximately 110 thousand wild boars present do not destroy the crops. The costs of defense with electric fences are growing dramatically, with real "guardians" who aim to safeguard especially small plants. But wild boars are present in Friuli Venezia Giulia, where the presence of around 20 thousand specimens is estimated, and they have also begun to cause damage in Trentino Alto Adige, especially in some areas such as the upper Valsugana where there are an estimated thousand of them, and as many more. there are some in the Aosta Valley, where they have long colonized even areas that are not their own, such as agricultural and cultivated land, up to altitudes exceeding 2000 meters (source: Coldiretti).
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