Now sheep-stealing gangs are taking cows and pigs to the black market, and it is feared that gangs are behind the increase in thefts.

Criminal gangs that steal sheep to sell on the black market are now also confiscating other animals from farms, including pigs and even cows.

A report by industry watchdogs including Food Standards Scotland (FSS) says fraudsters are diversifying their operations to exploit weaknesses in the domestic supply chain.

The agency said it had identified organized crime groups involved in the theft of meat and live animals.

The news comes after a series of high-profile thefts from farms, including the theft of a flock of 40 sheep in Fossoway, Kinross, in the summer.

He fears that gangs involved in rural thefts are using drones to spot farms they plan to plunder.

Hannah Binns, of insurer NFU Mutual, said: “Livestock theft is devastating for farmers.”

In addition to the obvious effects on farming operations, theft can seriously disrupt important breeding lines and force the farmer to find and purchase new cattle.

Detailed information on criminals targeting farm animals can be found in the 2024 Food Crime Strategic Assessment produced by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the FSS.

The assessment identified emerging threats, including the involvement of industry insiders who use their knowledge to commit and conceal crimes.

The document stated that “property crime in the food industry continues to focus on livestock theft,” with stolen animals often being illegally slaughtered and sold on the black market.

The 2020 report found that while the previous report noted thefts of sheep, lambs and shellfish, “the range of animal species targeted for theft has expanded, with cows and pigs now also appearing.”

Livestock theft is on the rise across the UK, with the latest figures showing that £2.7m worth of sheep, cattle and pigs were stolen last year – the highest in four years. And the true scale of the problem could be much bigger.

In its report, the FSS said it believed livestock theft was under-reported and that incidents “are often not identified or reported until animals are collected from the fields for winter”, which limits “the scope for investigation”.

The agency also admitted there were still “serious intelligence gaps” regarding the routes criminals use to introduce stolen animals into the food chain.

However, the agency said it had obtained information on some aspects of tactics used by fraudsters, including the misuse of animal identification systems to sell stolen sheep, pigs and cows.

Detective Inspector Jordan Low, of Police Scotland’s Rural and Acquisition Crime Unit, said: “Compared to the rest of the UK, livestock theft in Scotland remains relatively low. Where incidents of livestock theft occur, we are committed to identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice.”