This is a subscriber-only article
Some 50 cattle were reported stolen to the Department of Agriculture last year, down from the 125 that were reported stolen in 2016.
The number of cattle stolen this year is down 60% on last year and down more than 75% on 2015, when 209 cattle were stolen.
Figures from the Department of Agriculture show that Cavan and Limerick suffered the highest number of thefts in 2017, with nine cattle stolen in each county this year.
Seven cattle were stolen in Galway this year, five in Clare and four in Meath.
The number of cattle stolen in the border counties has also fallen, with one animal stolen in Monaghan this year, compared with 41 last year.
Stolen sheep
Information on sheep losses including instances of sheep theft are not recorded on the Department’s systems.
Unlike cattle, there is no requirement for farmers to record individual sheep births on the Department’s Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) database.
Where sheep are stolen, farmers are advised to notify the gardaí of the details and must record the relevant information on their flock registers.
SHARING OPTIONS: