A group of agricultural producers in Manitoba has banded together to offer a hefty financial reward following a targeted string of copper wire thefts that left local operations facing tens of thousands of dollars in damages just before the spring seeding season.
Six local farms, including Verwey Farms near Portage la Prairie, jointly issued a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The decision to involve the RCMP came after multiple producers discovered their irrigation pivots had been systematically stripped of copper wiring.
Rachael Proden, a farmer with Verwey Farms, said her family discovered the vandalism in early May. In addition to the ruined pivot, thieves stripped the electrical wiring off a corn planter stored in one of their storage yards north of Portage la Prairie.
The combined damage to the two pieces of machinery totals more than $70,000.
"It was kind of a shock to the system and frustrating," Proden said, adding that the thefts have caused months of delays due to backordered parts. "To start your spring out already negative $70,000 because we have to do these repairs is really disheartening and kind of discouraging going into the season."
Proden noted the targeted machinery could not be seen from the main highway, leading producers to believe the thefts are part of an organized crime ring rather than random opportunity. She urged metal recycling yards to take more responsibility by refusing to purchase materials that are clearly stolen.
The issue has caught the attention of provincial officials. Portage la Prairie MLA Jeff Bereza raised the matter in the Legislative Assembly, noting that copper thefts are hitting both rural agricultural equipment and urban commercial air conditioning units.
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