Farming News - Warning over livestock thefts
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Warning over livestock thefts
Rural insurers NFU Mutual have warned that rising meat prices are behind livestock thefts which are becoming more of a problem in parts of the country. Over the past few years, as the effects of the recession have been felt and meat prices have risen, the insurance company claims to have received an increasing number of claims for stolen animals.
Although farmers’ groups have made efforts to ensure livestock is protected and rural police forces have stepped up attempts to deal with rustling, NFU Mutual said that between 2010 and 2011 they received 170 per cent more claims from farmers who claimed to have had animals stolen.
In North West England, police forces have mounted random stop and search operations on lorries transporting animals to act as a deterrent. The insurance company has said stolen animals are likely being slaughtered and sold into the black market, with thieves capitalising on record meat prices which have led buyers to seek bargains elsewhere.
The insurers believe rustling cost farmers in the UK £6 million last year alone, and that over the year around 67,000 sheep were stolen throughout Britain. Sheep are far and away the most commonly targeted animals, but pigs, cattle and even poultry have been stolen.
Sheep thefts rose fourfold in Wales in 2011 and tripled in Scotland. NFU Mutual warned Scottish farmers in particular that, after increasing thefts in England and Wales have led farmers to organise and tighten security, criminal gangs may be turning their attention to farms north of the border.
NFU Mutual chair Richard Percy made the warning at the Royal Highland Show which was held just outside Edinburgh over the weekend.
Police and farming unions have advised farmers to join a Farm Watch scheme, believed to be the most effective way to tackle crime in rural region. Scheme members can access information on preventing thefts and receive text updates detailing crime trends and suspicious activity.