The has been a sharp increase ahead of Easter in the theft of lambs, especially baby lambs, which constitute the main dish on Italian holiday tables, the Coldiretti farmers' union reported.
Sales of lamb are particularly high this year because of the bird flu scare which has sent the poultry market plummeting.
Turkeys, capons and ducks are traditional alternatives to lamb on Italian holiday tables.
According to Coldiretti, the greatest increase in sheep rustling, sometimes whole flocks, has occurred in central Italy, especially the eastern Marche region, famous for the quality of its lamb.
The farmers' union pointed out that it was easier to steal lambs than cattle or poultry because sheep are not subject to the tough regulations on an animal's origin identification imposed after the recent mad cow scare and the first cases of bird flu.
Without identification tags, it is thus easier to hide stolen lambs before slaughter.
In order to protect their flocks, farmers are reported to be sleeping with their herds. Livestock rustling was once very widespread in Italy and until recently it was a specific crime, while today it is considered common theft.
Because lambs do not have tags indicating their origin, Coldiretti observed, it has also become easier to import inferior quality livestock, especially from Eastern Europe where regulations on the quality of animal feed are limited.
Coldiretti has calculated that about half of the lamb consumed in Italy comes from abroad.
Because of unfair competition from abroad, farm prices for domestic lamb this year have fallen sharply to between three to four euros a kilo, far below its retail price, Coldiretti said.
In order to protect the consumer as well as the farmer, Coldiretti has asked the Agriculture Ministry to seek the special European Union PGI label, which guarantees a product's geographic origin, for lamb produced in central Italy.
These quality labels have already been awarded by the EU to lamb from Sardinia, 'Agnello di Sardegna' , and the area around Rome, 'Abbacchio Romano'.
