For some years now, in the provinces of Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Chaco, Formosa and Misionesthe populations of invasive alien species and, according to farmers and ranchers in northeastern Argentina (NEA), they are causing serious environmental, productive and economic damage. Wild boars, wild pigs and Axis deer multiply uncontrollably in the region since, as they are not native, they lack natural predators and regulation in the food chain.
In Corrientes, the towns of Mercedes, Curuzú Cuatiá and Sauce are the most affected. “The problem began in the south-central part of the province and is already occupying the north. These animals move from field to field carrying parasites and pests from one field to another. They are producing a displacement of our native fauna: the Axis deer, being larger, is displacing marsh deer or red deer; and through the wild pig we see every time smaller number of teros, rheas and partridges in the fields, since this species attacks the eggs to feed,” he explained. Carlos Roldán, president of the Mercedes Rural Society and secretary of the Association of Rural Societies of Corrientes.
Likewise, he indicated that these exotic species represent a “serious problem” for production. “In the entire south center, which was quintessentially sheep-dwelling, today we have a problem and a huge loss of lambs because the pig attacks the little ones and today It’s literally a plague.”, he lamented.
In agriculture, wild pigs They attack corn, rice and wheat crops. “They produce us very big economic loss “which has put in check the intensification of the Corrientes fields,” said the union leader.
And in cattle farming, “the pigs are around all the feeders, taking 30% of the food that one throws into the silos of self-consumption,” he said.
Faced with this problem, from the member associations of Argentine Rural Confederations (CRA) warned about the imbalance in ecology that this spread is generating and they called on the authorities of all jurisdictions and areas: Nation, provinces, legislators, union entities, Production, Tourism and Education portfolios, and Senasa, to get involved and take action on the matter in order to jointly design public policies that lead to solving the problem “reasonably, as opposed to an increasingly worrying, harmful and out of control threat”.
The invasion of these exotic species “causes productive damages, with areas where you cannot grow crops, raise sheep or intensify; health damage due to spread of diseases contagious; destruction of our fauna and the natural landscape,” said the ruralists.
And they warned that “the seriousness of the issue deserves urgent public-private workjoint and interjurisdictional, that evaluates its multiple aspects and proposes comprehensive solutions.”
