Victorian livestock thefts record five-year high in 2020
Victorian farmers have had a record number of livestock stolen this year, and with sheep and cattle hitting price highs, the value of the thefts may surprise you.
LIVESTOCK thefts in Victoria have continued to climb this year, with a five-year record high number reported in 2020.
The latest figures, released last week, revealed that 262 individual livestock thefts happened in the year to September, up from 153 at the same time in 2016.
The value of livestock stolen this year was almost $2 million, but was the lowest amount recorded since 2018.
The individual value of stolen cattle and steers recorded an increase on last year, with cattle value at $425,000, up from $295,000 last year, while steers stolen were worth $21,100, up from $3,700 in 2019.
Victorian Farmers Federation livestock group president Steve Harrison said it was disappointing the number of stock stolen kept rising.
“Livestock theft is still a significant problem and source of angst for all farmers,” he said.
“We need more resources in this area. We need the rural crime division more financed and that way more proactive in rural crime.”
Mr Harrison said the record-breaking prices for livestock in recent times have made cattle and sheep an inviting prospect for criminals.
“There’s more opportunistic thieves and obviously one or two beasts add up to a large amount of money,” he said.
He reminded farmers to stay on top of stock numbers and go to the police at the first sign of suspicious behaviour.
“Farmers should always be vigilant due to the high price of stock and report or investigate as soon as you can,” he said.
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