First quarter done

Well, my friends, I hope everyone is getting a chance to farm between the showers as we enter the last month of this first quarter of the year. There really has been no let-up in the weather and work is backing up: spring has sprung and the ground is like dung!

This month, I want to focus on an important subject that is affecting farmers around the country: theft of livestock and machinery. A spate of incidents where thieves have been targeting farms – stealing everything from machines to vehicles, tools to technology – has hit headlines recently. A ‘PrimeTime Investigates’ report, which aired on RTÉ a few weeks ago, focused on thefts on farms. Livestock and machinery are being stolen, with some stolen items being transported across the border and, in the case of machinery, some is even being shipped to Eastern Europe and beyond. Many farmers and dealers have also seen a rise in technology thefts of GPS kits, which are often sold abroad, as they are high value, easy transport and have everything from military applications to farming applications. In Lithuania €8 million worth of stolen GPS equipment was found and some of this haul came from Ireland.
Jeeps and trailers are stolen on a regular basis and are used for the lifting of other items like quads. Livestock trailers and flatbed trailers are also easy lift and sell. Tools of all varieties are being lifted on a daily basis. There are markets around the country operating in the early hours of the morning flogging this stolen kit.
A lot of these crimes are not being reported and the true value of what’s has being stolen from farms is really not known. Some farmers feel it is a waste of time reporting thefts because the response is too slow and a lot live in fear of these dangerous and highly organised gangs roaming the countryside. I personally got hit with tools being robbed from my farm recently.
In addition, farmers need to be careful as well that they are not buying any stolen items inadvertently online, which is simply adding to the problem.

Rural crime in general is spiraling out of control since the closure of many rural Garda stations all over the country. The current Garda recruitment programme is looking to add 800+ gardai coming out of Templemore, but they are predominantly going to the main cities and towns, leaving traditional rural Garda stations unmanned and areas very vulnerable to theft and anti-social behaviour. It is a problem that needs to be addressed urgently.
Until next month, farm wisely and farm safely.