A rural farmer in Leroy, Minnesota reported that $70,000 worth of bull semen was stolen from his barn.
According to Associated Press, Daniel Weness field a police report that a canister full of vials of bull semen. Each vial costs from $300 to $1,500 and the canister itself is priced at $500. Weness did not specify when the semen was taken from his property. He speculated that the incident happened on Easter Sunday, which is the only time that he and his hired help were away from the farm.
According to Agriculture teacher Linnay Yarger in cited by KAAL-TV, farmers use artificial insemination to their herds in order to increase their genetic diversity and increase the population of the bulls. Breeding the bulls is also a trend nowadays. The range in value of the semen depends on its breed. There are some genetics qualities that farmers seek after. Semen from an award-winning bull can be sold in a higher price because of the quality of the bull it came from.
Yarger added that is an uncommon incident and it is most likely that the thieves have knowledge on how much the semen costs. This is strengthened by the fact that the thieves did not take other things in the farm. They probably knew the value of the semen and that there is a profitable market for it.
Until now, the police have no clue who perpetrated the crime. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact the Mower County Sheriff's Department.