Spate of sheep rustling hits Taranaki

Photo / Sarah Ivey

There's been a spate of sheep rustling in North Taranaki, and it's expected to get worse as thieves try to fill their freezers for the holidays.

Sheep on farms aren't the only victims, with ewes keeping the grass down on a local golf course also disappearing, some of them carrying lambs.

Taranaki Federated Farmers Meat and Fibre spokesman Neville Wallace has lost stock himself. He's hoping farmers and people in towns can work together to address the issue, and keep a close eye on their stock. But he told Newstalk ZB, this can be difficult on a big farm, "It's a question of logistics - whether they've got time to go around and do this job everyday. It might be cheaper to let the sheep go."

- Newstalk ZB