As it publishes its 2023 Rural Crime Report, NFU Mutual reveals that rural theft cost Devon and Cornwall an estimated £880,000 last year.

Figures from the leading rural insurer reveal the UK cost of rural theft increased by 22 per cent to an estimated £49.5m.

The rise comes against a background of soaring values and low supply of farm machinery worldwide. Criminal gangs have responded by establishing illicit global markets for farm machinery and technology equipment.

Farms across Devon and Cornwall have been targeted for the sophisticated equipment, which typically costs over £10,000 and is used to guide tractors and combine harvesters. Without it, farmers face severe delays and disruption to harvesting and cultivating work, with long waits for replacement kit. 

Quad bikes and all-terrain-vehicles (ATVs) were also top targets for rural thieves. In 2022, quad and ATV theft reported to NFU Mutual cost £3m nationally. These vital vehicles enable farmers to complete work efficiently out in the fields. Continuing supply chain issues are sending prices of second-hand machines higher, making the vehicles an attractive target for thieves.

The UK cost of livestock theft rose 8.7 per cent in 2022, totalling an estimated £2.7m. Claims reported to NFU Mutual regularly involve over 50 sheep being taken in a single raid, which has a devastating impact on breeding lines as well as causing huge worry for farmers about the welfare of the stolen animals. In Dartmoor a project set up by Devon & Cornwall Police and supported by NFU Mutual has trialled a range of security measures and as a result none of the farms taking part in the pilot has suffered livestock theft. Martin Beck of Devon & Cornwall Police’s Rural Crime Team said: “Any increase in the cost of crime is unwelcome and the NFU Mutual report is a reminder of that; although we live in a lower crime area compared with other parts of the England we must work together and harder to tackle rural crime. The NFU Mutual report has showed how insurance claims to them have increased across England and Wales.

“Devon and Cornwall has seen crime reported in rural areas returning to what we saw before the Covid pandemic with the number of rural crimes reported to the police being similar to last year. With the price of goods rising the costs to insurers has subsequently increased. Insurers are also seeing claims for more high value goods being stolen and damage, such as farm tractor GPS, which have increased greatly in the past 18 months.

“We’re encouraging people to join our ‘Devon and Cornwall Alert Community Messaging’ service (https://alerts.dc.police.uk) which allows us to share crime prevention messages and crime appeals specific to where you live. We would also ask people to take the time to review their security.”