CRIMINAL gangs are targeting farmyards and fields, looking to cash in on continuing high inflation and ready resale markets domestically and overseas.
The theft of agricultural vehicles cost UK farmers an estimated £10.7 million, livestock theft an estimated £2.7 million, Quad and ATV theft £3.2million and GPS theft £4.2 million, according to a new report.
Rural crime is not a new phenomenon, but recent years has seen a rise in organised criminals targeting high value equipment on farms.
By consulting the people that live, work, and contribute to rural communities, the NFU Mutual, which has invested over £1million since 2021 to tackle rural crime, has been able to gather data and report on these issues for over 20 years.
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In an introduction to the 2024 report, chairman Jim McLaren says:
“As a farmer, I know that the theft of important machinery isn’t the worst thing about being a victim of rural crime. Neither is the inconvenience and stress of sourcing replacements and having to adjust farming activities. It’s the horrible feeling that criminals have brazenly staked out and targeted farmyards and fields, often only a few feet away from the family home.
“Then, working alone makes it all too easy for our problems to weigh us down and negatively impact our mental wellbeing. We aren’t great at sharing our problems. But we must talk about them more.
“Talk to your neighbours, who often face the same threats. Work with farm watch groups and your local rural police team. There’s much truth in the saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’.”
According to the report, the cost of rural crime in Wales has risen by 6.2 per cent to a total of £2.4m.
Samuel Kurtz, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire commented:
“These are troubling statistics and show that we have an underlying problem in our inability to tackle rural crime effectively in Wales.
“I’m grateful to Dyfed Powys Police and their dedicated Rural Crime team for their work in our area. However, from machinery theft to livestock worrying, our rural communities need to feel safe and listened to.
“There are many things that we can do to proactively reduce the risk of rural crime, and I urge everyone to be sensible, to be vigilant and further helpful tips can be found in the NFU Mutual report found on their website.”