Friday, March 29, 2024

Farmer loses 65 cows to thieves

Neal Wallace
A west Otago dairy farm where thieves stole 65 mixed-aged, in-calf cows has 30 road-fronting gates so Ivan Roulston is at a loss how to protect his herd.
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He believes the theft occurred on May 30 or 31 when dry cows had been split from those in-calf. 

Only in-calf cows were stolen.

However, the loss wasn’t apparent until early June when he returned from a family holiday and, while feeding out, realised the herd was smaller than it should have been.

Roulston, who milks up to 640 cows on 386ha, said an audit revealed he was 65 short.

The theft coincided with the end of season and farmers shifting properties and cows being trucked to winter grazing so it was not unusual to see cows on the move.

Police had been notified but he said there wasn’t any sign of where the stolen stock had been loaded onto trucks or cows herded from paddocks onto a road.

He is taking the loss on the chin, having replaced the stolen cattle and is resigned to the likelihood of never seeing the cows again.

The stolen stock could be in the North Island or turned into grinding beef by now, he said.

“There’s not a lot I can do about it unless someone has seen something or knows someone who has acquired them.”

His farm is self-contained but with 30 gates opening onto roads it is not practical to padlock every gate.

It was the second sizeable theft of dairy cows in recent years, following the loss of 500 cows from an Ashburton farm in 2016.

The stock and perpetrators have never been found or charged but police have said the file remains open in the hope they uncover new leads.

Rural community leaders have in recent months criticised police for failing to make much headway in solving rural crime but in one week four people were arrested for high profile crimes.

Earlier this month Wairarapa police arrested a man accused of poaching and a few days later three Tauranga locals were arrested for multiple avocado thefts in the western Bay of Plenty.

A 45-year-old Masterton man was arrested after witnesses saw a man firing a weapon from a car as it travelled up and down White Rock Rd in southern Wairarapa.

Acting Senior Sergeant Jennifer Hansen said it is an area previously targeted by poachers and she praised the quick action of witnesses.

“This time the caller also attained a registration, which is great and certainly made things easier for us.”

A subsequent search of a Masterton property found more hunting equipment, including ammunition.

The man faces charges of possessing a firearm without a licence, poaching and possession of cannabis.

Tauranga police have arrested three people for the theft and receiving of stolen avocados following incidents over several months in Te Puke, Welcome Bay, Bethlehem, Te Puna and Katikati.

Police said the arrests followed quick action and assistance from victims and witnesses who reported suspicious activity.

The avocados were believed to have been on-sold by the receiver and police said people buying avocados should ensure they know the source of the fruit and keep records of their purchases.

A 23-year-old man and 27-year-old woman face burglary charges and a 63-year-old man charges of receiving stolen property.

Hawke’s Bay businesses have been praised for taking a proactive approach to crime prevention by investing in new signs warning potential offenders they are being watched.

The businesses have taken a stand against burglaries, thefts, poaching, drug cultivation and boy racers affecting Hastings’ rural areas.

Having decided to replace some ageing Neighbourhood Support Group signs, local businesses were approached to become part of the initiative to help prevent crime in rural areas.

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