Machine theft is an annoying fact for many farmers in our region. But those who provide the food for our tables are facing a new sinister threat.
In addition to the organized crime gangs that steal tractors, excavators, other factories and Global Positioning Systems, they have now also turned to killing livestock in the fields and selling the meat. The rise of illegal slaughter is endangering meat eaters and causing mental anguish among farmers, a newly appointed livestock crime czar has warned.
The lucrative trade, in which some animals are brutally killed and dismembered in the fields, puts unwitting buyers at risk of ingesting drug residues, livestock diseases and food poisoning due to the meat being stored in unsanitary conditions.
In the North West, rural crime was estimated to cost £3.2 million in 2023 – a slight increase of 1.4 per cent on 2022. According to NFU Mutual, the national figure rose by 4.3 per cent to £52.8 million . Livestock worth £2.7 million was stolen across Britain last year.
There are 819 farms in Greater Manchester (NFU members) and 2,648 farms in Cheshire.
Illegal slaughter is not only unsafe for consumers, but can also cause unnecessary suffering to the animal and have serious emotional and financial consequences for farming communities. There are reports of cows having their tendons cut to prevent them from escaping, and sheep being strangled with rope.
Martin Beck was recently appointed as the UK’s first livestock theft prevention officer at the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU). Its role is to build expertise and coordinate intelligence to tackle crime. The 30-year police veteran and rural crime expert says the increase is being driven by organized crime and corruption among meat industry insiders.
One of the methods they use is ‘tarsing’, where livestock passports – livestock must be identified with a pair of approved ear tags and provided with identity documents – are used for another animal when the original holder dies. “People in the industry know how to take advantage of it,” he said.
“Ear tags are easy to cut out and change, and younger animals are less likely to be tagged. They can then be put on the legal market with a new tag.”
NFU vice-president David Exwood is urging the public to be very careful where they source their meat as it may lack the traceability, standards and strict food safety controls that the industry adheres to, with professionals from the industry and health inspectors are involved.
He said: “When we hear reports of animals being slaughtered and then slaughtered in fields it is incredibly worrying. These incidents have a significant impact on livestock farmers, causing them to suffer major financial losses to their businesses and emotional distress because they care deeply about their animals and their welfare.
“We know that where the animals are slaughtered and the meat is often sold on the black market, which can pose a risk to human health, it is usually organized criminal gangs that are responsible.”
Mr Beck said: “It takes skill and organization to pick up and move livestock with a van or trailer. When seen, they look like peasants and are rarely challenged. There is no natural supervision in the countryside, so it is an easy crime to commit.”
The stolen meat usually ends up in takeaway restaurants and sometimes it goes to butchers. “Most butchers are great, but there are exceptions in every industry,” he added. “Some butchers will accept meat without any questions asked,” he added.
Adventurous foodies are another cause of illegal slaughter. There is a demand for ‘skin-on’ products – also known as ‘smokies’ – a West African delicacy in which the hair and wool from a shorn ewe or goat carcass are burned, leaving the skin attached to the meat. This gives the meat a unique flavor when cooking and is popular in many English cities. The National Sheep Association (NSA) estimates that this market in Britain could use as many as 100,000 ewes for slaughter per year.
Despite demand, they remain illegal to produce or even import due to post-slaughter inspection regulations.
According to Phil Stocker, CEO of the NSA: “Britain is suffering from illegal importation and illegal preparation of skin-on sheep to meet demand, and the knock-on effect is a risk to human health due to the lack of explanations on drug use and waiting times, risks to sheep welfare due to illegal slaughter and theft of sheep because the products are not legally available.”
Andrew Chalk, Rural Insurance Specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “Our latest claims data shows that livestock theft cost an estimated £2.7 million in 2023 – the same amount as in 2022. In addition to the financial costs, which are typically covered by insurance, Theft is extremely disruptive to farmers.
“It interferes with important breeding lines and can undo months of hard work and care, not to mention causing significant problems for farmers who care deeply about their animals.
“Last year we saw a spike in alarming incidents of farm animals being slaughtered in their fields, and NFU Mutual officers have reported that thefts are increasingly being planned and thought out – a major concern for all farmers and a reminder that we don’t necessarily know where meat from stolen cattle ends up.”
The NRCU has launched Operation Foldyard to focus police activity and encourage agencies with livestock enforcement responsibilities to work together.
Mr Beck said: “Food security and disease risk are high on the agricultural agenda. Livestock theft is a challenging issue facing the industry, but what progress has been made to understand the problem; Who are the offenders? How do they work? Are the disease and public health risks recognized and what can be done to reduce theft?
“The role of the cattle theft coordinator is important for both the sector and the police. Farmers want to be able to trust that the police are doing everything they can to deter and catch offenders, while the police must have confidence in their actions. My role will provide greater support to armed forces across Britain to tackle the problem.”
“Police cannot tackle livestock theft alone and we need people from the farming and meat sectors to speak out and help us tackle this crime.
“One farmer dies by suicide every week. We have to help these people.”
In a sign of the increasing organization and sophistication of criminals, Global Positioning System (GPS) units were targeted by gangs throughout 2023, causing the value of claims to NFU Mutual to skyrocket by 137% to an estimated £4.2 million.
Thieves often target multiple farms in one night before moving locations to steal these highly valuable and portable kits, often revisiting farms weeks later to steal any replacements
Intelligence gathered by police has revealed that farms in Lincolnshire, Essex, Newport, North Yorkshire and Thames Valley are being targeted by organized criminals, with thieves looking to steal GPS systems.
GPS systems are used to provide precise positioning for growing and harvesting operations on farms around the world and have become one of the most targeted agricultural equipment due to their high value and portability.
The high-tech equipment, which typically costs more than £10,000 each, is used to guide tractors and combine harvesters to improve accuracy. Without this, farmers and contractors could face serious delays and disruptions to harvesting and cultivation.
Hannah Binns, rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “All indications are that rural crime is becoming increasingly organised, sophisticated and determined in nature, which is incredibly alarming for people living and working in rural areas.”
“Our latest report highlights that Global Positioning Systems (GPS) were the hot ticket for criminals in 2023, with thieves turning to technology to scout locations and steal these highly valuable and portable kits across the country. Intelligence also shows that several farms are often targeted overnight before criminals move locations, only to return to these farms weeks later in search of possible replacements.”
“The theft of these vital kits not only causes serious disruption to farmers, preventing them from harvesting their crops in top condition, but can also be extremely stressful and distressing.”