Bull semen tanks full of straws stolen in Northern Ireland

Two tanks containing straws of semen have been stolen from an outbuilding in a rural area of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.

The burglary is thought to have taken place between 3pm on 21 October and 1pm on 23 October on Ballyness Road, Clogher, County Tyrone.

A police investigation is ongoing, with relatively limited information being made publicly available in terms of the quantity and type of semen stolen.

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Police say the stolen tanks and contents were of “significant value”, and they are making enquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding the theft.

Police Service of Northern Ireland inspector McNeill said: “I would encourage anyone who may have this type of equipment, or who works in this industry, to be vigilant against this type of crime, particularly over the darker winter nights.

“Please review the security you have around your property and ensure any cameras are placed at entry points, where access might be gained.”

Farmers Weekly spoke with local artificial insemination (AI) companies based in Northern Ireland to get a gauge of whether this type of crime happened often.

One individual said they had not heard of a case of a tank of semen being stolen for more than 10 years.

They suggested that given the location where the theft took place, it was likely to have been stolen directly from a farm rather than from an AI business.