Farmers are going to extreme lengths to protect themselves from theft as criminal activity on farms increases, according to Bluefin Insurance Services.
Agricultural theft costs the UK farming industry ’47.9M last year, up from ’41M in 2009, with tools, tractors, heating oil and fuel topping the list of targeted items.
Bluefin Insurances Services, which has 50 offices across the UK, said farmers are taking increasingly drastic action to protect their businesses from thieves, including installing complex security systems, setting up infra-red laser beam technology and fitting tracking devices to farm vehicles.
A recent survey carried out by rural insurer NFU Mutual found that two thirds of its branches across the UK had reported an increase in rural crime in their area, with 60% citing farms and outbuildings as being the most frequently targeted.
Furthermore, when farms have been targeted once, thieves are more likely to strike again when the equipment has been replaced, especially if the security was inadequate, which can result in insurance premiums rocketing.
Peter Castle, Head of Customer Proposition for Bluefin, said farms could minimise the threat from theft and also reduce farm insurance premiums by showing insurers that preventative measures are in place to deter thieves.
’Our advice to farm clients is always the same: improve your security and never be complacent with what you have in place. Security doesn’t have to be a major expense and through some robust management of equipment and livestock you can greatly reduce your chances of being targeted by thieves,’ he said.
Low cost security measures farmers can take to protect themselves from theft include locking fuel tanks with quality locks, securing tools, equipment and vehicles in locked workshops and grilling or bricking up windows to prevent access. Livestock should be kept in locked gated fields close to the farmhouse and buildings.
Castle also suggests installing data-tagging on agricultural machinery so it can be identified and returned to its rightful owner if stolen.
For particularly isolated farms it’s worth considering more advanced CCTV and alarm systems, as sparsely populated areas are more likely to be targeted. Insurers will increase premiums after break-ins so it is very important that the farmer has taken steps to prevent thieves gaining access to their premises.
’Being caught twice would seriously affect the terms and premiums offered by insurers at next renewal. However if a farmer shows willing to prevent crime on his farm, insurers tend to be more flexible with the terms and premiums they will impose at renewal. Insurers generally load premiums and place high excesses on vulnerable sections of a farm; so prevention is always the best policy,’ said Castle.
Practical advice to help prevent crime on farms
’ Lock fuel tanks with quality locks or even re-site them in locked buildings
’ Lock away tools and equipment in secure workshops and tool cabinets with quality locks or grilling or even consider bricking up windows to prevent access
’ Keep All Terrain Vehicles/Quad Bikes in locked buildings and chained to a solid object. Do not leave them out in a yard on display as thieves with vehicles can easily pick them up
’ Agricultural vehicles should be put away at night in securely locked buildings and any keys removed
’ Install CCTV and consider other types of security protection such as infra-red beams fitted across yards or gateways which activate alarms if the beam is broken
’ Install an alarm system on obvious target buildings, workshops, riding tack stores and offices
’ Install a lockable bar gate at the entrance to the farm to prevent vehicle access
’ With farms where there is no house occupancy at night by either farmer or any employees, if tools or vehicles have to be stored then they should be items which can be replaced easily and with little cost. Isolated farms or those with no overnight occupancy are most likely to be targeted by thieves
’ Fit tracking devices to vehicles, particularly valuable tractors, so that items can easily be traced and recovered if stolen
’ Fit immobilisers to vehicles particularly valuable tractors to prevent items being driven away
’ Install data-tagging on agricultural machinery so if machinery is stolen from a farm it can be identified and returned to its rightful owner
’ Keep livestock in locked gated fields in close proximity to the farmhouse and buildings
’ Buy a noisy farm guard dog which always acts as an effective deterrent
