Calls for stronger laws

An alarm was activated in the early hours of Friday morning after two women allegedly climbed a 10-foot security fence and attempted to break-in and steal chickens.

The offenders were arrested at the scene and will be charged on summons with trespassing.

The event has renewed calls from the Victorian Farmers Federation to the State Government to strengthen laws surrounding trespassing and break-ins on primary production properties.

"You run out on the MCG and you get a $7000 fine but you break-in to a farm and you don't get anything but a slap on the wrist," LT's Egg Farm owner and VFF Eggs Group president Brian Ahmed said.

"What we need to do is make them more accountable and once we have enough evidence, we need to charge offenders and put a record on their name because that is when people will realise it is wrong. "

Mr Ahmed said the women were believed to be attempting to steal some of LT's 25,000 birds and as consequence had threatened the farm's biosecurity.

"We are monitoring our birds very closely because if there is a hint of disease, we will have to cull all 25,000 of them," he said.

"This is where the animal liberationists get it wrong - they say they are after improving the animal welfare but they risk the birds lives by threatening our biosecurity with diseases such as avian influenza from wild birds, backyard hens or people who have been in contact with either.

"We are monitoring the production levels and feed intake because they have been woken and stressed in the middle of the night."

Mr Ahmed said VFF hear of monthly events where animal activists trespassed on farms with poultry, pig and dairy being the main targets.

The news has escalated VFF calls for the Victorian Government to implement its 2010 election promise to curb animal activists' attacks on farms.

Mr Ahmed said the State Government promised to ensure adequate legislation existed to protect all food producers from "unreasonable attacks by extremist animal rights" lobbyists but nothing had been achieved in four years.

"If the laws don't change my advice is for (producers) to better up their security because it is only a matter of time before they break-in to your farm, they will start near the city and work their way out to the country but no one will be immune," he said.

Next week, Mr Ahmed and VFF representatives will visit Canberra to continue talks with the government.

"The laws need to deter people from breaking-in to farms and then it is our role to educate people so they don't feel the need to break-in and understand the welfare of the animal is upheld," he said.

"(Animal activists) are not stepping back from this campaign and sooner or later someone will be hurt on farm or a major disease outbreak will occur."