Anyone who can provide information leading the return of stolen livestock will receive a €10,000 reward from the IFA.

The IFA will launched the initiative on Friday morning at the Alexander Hotel, Dublin, where full details will be unveiled. Speakers will include IFA president Eddie Downey as well as cattle and sheep farmers who have been victims of rustling in recent times.

Rustling has long been a problem both north and south of the border. Since 2012, over 9,000 cattle have been reported stolen from farms in the Republic and Northern Ireland. However, the vast majority of thefts have occurred in the north.

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In 2014, a total of 146 cattle were reported stolen from Irish farms, with 48% of all thefts occurring in counties along the border with Northern Ireland. This was down significantly on 2013 figures, when a total of 298 cattle were reported stolen from farms in the Republic.

So far this year, 35 cattle have been reported stolen. In January, 15 cattle were stolen from two Cork farms within the space of a week.

RTÉ television programme Crimecall will run a package on cattle rustling next Monday (23 February), in which farmers who have had cattle stolen as well as Department of Agriculture officials and a senior member of An Garda Síochána will be interviewed.