More than 60 calves have been stolen from a roadside paddock on State Highway 2 near Dannevirke in Manawatu

The farmers discovered the calves had been taken on Monday morning, with the lock on the gate being cut.

The dairy calves were hand reared and are worth about 65 thousand dollars.

Farmer Jennifer Corbin says the calves were insured but they were likely to only get a payout of about 20 thousand dollars.

She says there's so much rural crime, and while people think they make a fortune, realistically there's a very small profit margin, so it's heartbreaking.