Victoria Police are on the hunt for a fruit-napper who stole five tonnes of beurre bosc pears from a property near Portland, in the state's south-west.

The culprit allegedly tore down five rows of orchards, almost half-a-kilometre long, from the Gorae property between March 18 and 20. It is not yet known how the thief moved the fruits of their labour without detection, but they are understood to have accessed the property via a side gate. A police spokesperson said the thief's motives were unknown, but they were believed to be "pearfessionals". Despite the size of the load, the haul is only valued around $1,500. The incident is the latest in a series of high-profile thefts from farming properties across south-west Victoria. Last month, about 140 sheep, valued at more than $30,000, were taken from a property at Dunkeld, near Hamilton. Victoria Police believed the stock may have been stolen by someone within the farming community. Detective Sergeant Mark James said the thefts were an ongoing problem. "There's people in the industry and there's people in these rural areas who have suspicions about certain individuals that they probably hold, but people don't like to point the finger," he said. "With jobs like these, there's a lot of money involved, and it's harming the industry and it's harming the individual." Source - abc.net.au