Cattle Rustling is on the Increase
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has reported that as the price of meat increases so too are the cases of animal theft in the UK.
A key example of cattle rustling in the UK was demonstrated in Lincolnshire, where a farmer arrived to feed his sheep one morning only to find that the entire flock had been stolen, all 271 of them.
Whilst this case had obviously been planned and executed by a team of people, there are others that appear to be more opportunistic, including an incident where a neighbour found a stolen cow in his garden, it had been shot and then cut in half with a chainsaw, the thieves had simply taken as much as they could carry.
As the price of meat has risen from £2.
70 to £4.
70 per lb the black market has thrived, with a whole chain of suppliers, slaughters and sellers feeding the British appetite for cheap meat.
The British Food Standards Agency has released guidance to consumers in relation to the actual risks posed by illegal meat - aside from the quite obvious lack of national safety and hygiene standards during the slaughter process, sellers and consumers are unaware of where their meat is originating from and whether it's even suitable for consumption.
The Guardian reported earlier this year that sheep from a Cheshire farm had been stolen after being treated by a toxic dip - following standard health and safety regulations they should not be entered into the food chain for 70 days following this treatment.
Now estimated as costing the industry £3.
5 million a year, the NFU are warning of the importance of farm insurance in protecting against financial loss, whilst also providing advice with regard to protecting from actual cattle loss by installing CCTV, joining a local Farmwatch scheme, maintaining boundaries, hedgerows and ditches.
A key example of cattle rustling in the UK was demonstrated in Lincolnshire, where a farmer arrived to feed his sheep one morning only to find that the entire flock had been stolen, all 271 of them.
Whilst this case had obviously been planned and executed by a team of people, there are others that appear to be more opportunistic, including an incident where a neighbour found a stolen cow in his garden, it had been shot and then cut in half with a chainsaw, the thieves had simply taken as much as they could carry.
As the price of meat has risen from £2.
70 to £4.
70 per lb the black market has thrived, with a whole chain of suppliers, slaughters and sellers feeding the British appetite for cheap meat.
The British Food Standards Agency has released guidance to consumers in relation to the actual risks posed by illegal meat - aside from the quite obvious lack of national safety and hygiene standards during the slaughter process, sellers and consumers are unaware of where their meat is originating from and whether it's even suitable for consumption.
The Guardian reported earlier this year that sheep from a Cheshire farm had been stolen after being treated by a toxic dip - following standard health and safety regulations they should not be entered into the food chain for 70 days following this treatment.
Now estimated as costing the industry £3.
5 million a year, the NFU are warning of the importance of farm insurance in protecting against financial loss, whilst also providing advice with regard to protecting from actual cattle loss by installing CCTV, joining a local Farmwatch scheme, maintaining boundaries, hedgerows and ditches.
Source...