The Nemtek Polywire Blue Mix 3mm x 400m is ideal for small to medium fences. With three conductive strands and 80 kg strength, it’ s built to protect. Available at your nearest Agrimark.
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While this may appear to be a positive trend, experts warn that the drop in reported incidents may be misleading. One major concern is that many farmers no longer bother to report stock theft, believing it to be a waste of time and resources due to the low number of successful convictions.
Reported numbers don’ t tell the full story
The forum’ s statistics show a slight decrease in stolen livestock between 1 January and 31 March 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. In 2024, 13,427 cattle were reported stolen compared to 12,070 in 2025. Similarly, reported sheep
theft decreased from 22,485 in 2024 to 19,058 in 2025. However, only a small proportion of these animals are ever recovered: 3,036 cattle and 3,029 sheep were recovered in the first three months of 2025, compared to 3,238 cattle and 3,130 sheep in 2024.
The challenge of under-reporting
Coert Jordaan, chairperson of the rural safety committee of Agri Eastern Cape, says they have launched a renewed campaign to encourage farmers to report theft.
“ It’ s not easy to convince producers to go through the effort when so few convictions
The Nemtek Polywire Blue Mix 3mm x 400m is ideal for small to medium fences. With three conductive strands and 80 kg strength, it’ s built to protect. Available at your nearest Agrimark.