(Image source: The New York Times)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

ANCHOR GARY COTTON

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Hognappers are on the loose in southern Minnesota. Several large-scale pigwrustles have happened in the past few weeks, leaving farmers on edge. CNN reports.

“150 pigs vanished from this farm last weekend -- 150 plump, ready-for-slaughter pigs worth about $30,000. But this isn’t the only place hognappers have struck. Last month, nearly 600 full-size squealing pigs disappeared during the night from a farm not far from this one.”

Local authorities say pig theft has been a relatively rare crime, and these latest thefts have come out of nowhere. But The Wall Street Journal says it probably all comes down to the money.

“Many Midwest farmers this summer have reaped around $200 for a full-grown hog, the highest price in their careers... Hog and cattle prices are soaring on increased demand overseas. The high price of corn, driven in part by the ethanol industry's appetite, has also made feed so expensive that many hog farmers have shrunk operations.”

So there’s a record high price, but also record high overhead to go along with it. The New York Times reports if you add in the low-security conditions of the farms, you’ve got a situation ripe for unscrupulous pig snatchers.

“Changes in the way pigs are raised have probably made stealing them easier. The large, low-slung buildings that often house thousands of pigs, known as ‘finishing barns,’ are often off gravel roads, far from most houses and busy towns, in part to avoid complaints about the smells of pig waste and other environmental concerns.”

The farmers in the area say they are stepping up security to avoid further thefts. But one farmer told the Des Moines Register, the thieves have the advantage for the moment.

“He said a couple of veteran hog-handlers could back up their trailer to the chute in the middle of the night and nab 100 pigs in no more than seven minutes.”

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Transcript by Newsy.