Feral pigs persist in Far North Queensland 44 years on

At the time, Peninsula cattleman VG Collins of Einasleigh Station near Georgetown said state and federal governments were just not aware of the magnitude of the problem.

Forty-four years later and 400km east, third generation Silkwood farmer Joel Pappalardo is battling the same problem across his 100 hectares of cane country.

In fact, he's fighting for his farm's survival.

"What we're seeing is that problem extended out to us now," Mr Pappalardo said.

"We've [seen] this issue progress over the last 68 years from pretty much nothing to something quite extreme."

His grandfather bought the land, south of Innisfail, in 1953, and Joel now farms with father Santo.

"My dad is very much hands on deck with me and experiencing the problem firsthand as well. He's at a loss what to do as well. He's never seen it like this. He just cannot believe how much the numbers have exploded in the last five years in particular. Night, day - I've seen them at all times. The issue has just become that big, they're just there all the time."

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The grower, who also works off-farm as an electrician, said the economic and emotional toll had been great.

"For a grower in my circumstance with a day job, the time is the problem. I get home and there'll be all the run-of-the-mill farm tasks to do, plus trying to address the feral pig issue and none of them are being done well as a result.

"Some blocks [against the mountain range] were entirely wiped out - no longer acceptable for harvesting - so that means all the inputs were there, but none of the returns.

"You notice the effects of it more when the cane is at maturity, but the cane's mostly cut now and I'm seeing the effects even in the small stuff.

"The only word I can use to describe how you feel when you're looking at those blocks that you've put all that hard work into is heartbreaking."

Mr Pappalardo said a unified front between growers, council and government was needed, along with a multi-faceted approach, including hunting, trapping and baiting.

"I believe the state government not addressing the parks [is an issue] and I also believe local council (Cassowary Coast Regional Council) could probably play a big role as well.

"At the end of the day, we are rate payers and we are paying rates on agricultural land. I'm kind of at a point where I'm feeling like if it continues like this, I can't use my land for cropping cane."

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