A Dannevirke farmer had 65 calves stolen. (File photo) Photo: Susan Murray RNZ
New Zealand needs a better way to track livestock, a farmer says, after $60,000 worth of calves were stolen from her Dannevirke farm.
Jen Corbin said it was the second time she and her husband have had stock stolen by cattle rustlers in as many years.
Corbin told Morning Report she was taking her daughter to school this week when she noticed the gate to their yard wide open.
She texted her husband who went to investigate and sent her a photograph of a broken padlock, confirming her worst fears.
Corbin said the loss of the 65 "autumn weaner" calves, which were between 12 and 14-weeks-old and in high demand, was devastating and there was no hope of getting them back.
She said unlike domestic pets that were microchipped, all that was required in New Zealand to identify stock was an ear tag which was easily removed.
"All you need is a knife or an ear tag remover. You can cut the tags out and that is your only way of tracing them.
"It's essentially like removing an earring from anyone - you cut it out and that's it."
She called for the technology to be developed for use in stock because it was "the only way you're going to be able to keep track of livestock".
"It would make sense. If you can GPS track an animal through their skin. You know they can take them but if they go to sell them, then there's a scan... and then it's in there for life."
Corbin said the hand-reared calves were only partially insured, for about $20,000, because of the outlay cost each year and now their premiums would "go through the roof" with the second theft.
She believed the theft was carried out by someone in the farming industry.
"Unfortunately it looks like it's another farmer because you have to have the facilities to take them off a truck and house them.
"It's not going to be some townie that's taken them obviously. It's sad to think, you know, farming is hard enough as it is and there's very small profit margins.
"To have someone else that knows the industry and is in the industry essentially taking off you is gut-wrenching."
Selling them would be easy without identification, she said.
"If you're already a farmer, then why would anyone question it."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
