Farmers lose £11m to organised crime
FamWatch schemes are being set up in rural areas to enable local people to become the eyes and ears of the community
ORGANISED crime has cost Ulster farmers more than £11 million in the last three years, it can be revealed.
Tim Price from NFU Mutual, which insures more than 75 per cent of farmers in the province, said that based on their claims, “we estimate the total cost of theft to Northern Irish agriculture was: £3.9 million in 2011; £3.9 million in 2010; and £2.9 million in 2009”.
Mr Price said while the theft of tractors is an ongoing problem in Northern Ireland, together with quad bike theft, livestock rustling more than doubled last year.
He said: “NFU Mutual estimates that over 6,000 sheep and cattle could have been stolen in 2011.
“In addition to sheep being stolen, we have also received claims for hundreds of stolen cattle and pigs and thousands of game birds.”
Mr Price said Northern Ireland was the worst area of the UK for livestock rustling, accounting for over 20 per cent of livestock claims.
He added that over the last decade “livestock rustling has been at historically low levels in Northern Ireland, while rural thieves concentrated on easy pickings – stealing quad bikes, tractors and expensive power tools from farms”.
“Now, however, high meat prices and improved security on farm vehicles appear to be leading to a resurgence in livestock rustling.
“As Northern Ireland’s leading rural insurer, NFU Mutual sees a close correlation between the price of commodities and the level of theft. In recent years we have seen thefts of metal rocket when scrap prices have been high; thefts of diesel from farms increase in line with oil price increases, and now the same thing appears to be happening with livestock.”
He added that when livestock are stolen they are not located again, indicating that false documentation is produced at abattoirs or the animals are slaughtered illegally which presents concern over food hygiene and quality.
Vice-president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, Ian Marshall, said many victims of agri-crime were “disappointed in the reaction of the police”. “For that reason a lot of the time the smaller items stolen are not reported,” he said.
“The perception is that the police are leaving the countryside and that there is a lack of cohesive working between districts. The UFU believes there is a need for the creation of a rural crime unit.”
In yesterday’s News Letter we revealed how farmers in north Antrim have turned vigilante in a bid to tackle theft.
DUP MLA for North Antrim, Paul Frew, who is chairman of the agriculture and rural development committee at Stormont, said: “I am very concerned to hear at first hand the mobilising of groups of farmers who feel the need to have to patrol the country roads at night in the hope of stopping or catching people who are involved.”
PSNI Superintendent Brian Kee last night said: “Tackling crime against the rural community is a major priority for police. We understand the effect these crimes have on the communities and the grave impact they can have on farmers’ livelihoods.
“There is significant ongoing work throughout Northern Ireland with local Neighbourhood Police Officers and Crime Prevention Officers working extremely closely with farmers, to identify their needs, tackle crime and offer support and advice on how to make their farms more secure.
“We also work closely with our Organised Crime Branch and recently arrested and charged a 67-year-old male with handling stolen goods in relation to the attempted shipment of stolen plant equipment.”
Supt Kee said in many rural areas police are using text alert schemes to warn residents of incidents in their areas and to provide relevant and current crime prevention advice.
He added: “Throughout the coming year HQ Crime Prevention will bring rural crime prevention information events to a number of major agricultural shows and are currently drawing up new crime prevention materials and – as rural crime events are already being held in every district – encouraging the sharing of best practice between police districts in terms of schemes such as trailer-marking and use of text systems. Expanded partner work with insurance companies and rural college management is planned.”
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
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