New figures from the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reveal that in 2013, a total of 3861 cattle were stolen and only 119 were reported as being recovered.
This year, 611 cattle have been taken.
Lord Morrow said the level of cattle thefts was shocking: "There is no way these animals are simply evaporating into thin air". He urged an enhanced co-operation between police and processing plants and also warned of the possibility of illegal slaughterhouses.
"They are being targeted by experienced thieves. There has been a sizeable lack of prosecutorial action also and therefore the deterrent factor in absent."
The figures were just as bad in 2014, when a total 3738 cattle were stolen and only 80 recovered.
A spokesperson said: “DARD’s Veterinary Service Central Enforcement Team assist the PSNI in the investigation of such cases and share intelligence with them but we do not have access to any police records concerning their investigations nor the outcome of these.”
