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Are Wildlife-Caused Losses Of Agriculture Increasing?, Alice P. Wywialowski

Proceedings of the Eighteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1998)

Both the percent of producers reporting and the value of wildlife-caused losses increased from 1989 to 1994. In 1994, 58% of respondents reported wildlife-caused losses of their agricultural commodities, an increase from the 55% of respondents who reported losses in 1989. Based on the median value of producer-estimated loss, wildlife caused losses cost producers approximately $591 million in 1994, $130 million more than in 1989. Losses based on producer estimates have been consistent with field-measured estimates of damage. While these losses represent 1 % of the value of agricultural production, losses were not evenly distributed and 23% of producers estimated …