The most recent Rural Crime Report from NFU Mutual shows that theft-related crime on farms is on the rise. Although rural crime fell in Scotland last year, the estimated cost of rural crime overall rose by 13.4% from 2016 to 2017, totalling a £44.5m loss to UK farming businesses last year. These are stark figures for farmers and crofters, but there are things you can do to help deter thieves and make it harder for them to get away with their crimes.

It may seem obvious, but many of us can be guilty of leaving keys in vehicles – keeping them in a secure location is a simple measure, as is keeping vehicles out of sight when not in use. A lot of vehicle crimes are the result of opportunistic thieves seeing a tractor, or other vehicle, left outside in plain sight for a few nights in a row before making their move.

It is also a good idea to limit the amount of entrances to the steading and sheds. Keep your vehicles, machinery and fuel locked up wherever possible.

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Many of these incidents are ones of opportunity for the thieves, who are much more likely to attempt to steal machinery or ATVs if it is easy. The more difficult you make it for criminals, the less likely they are to try anything. Keeping your equipment secure and out of sight is a great way of doing this.

If you are unfortunate enough to have a piece of machinery stolen, it is always useful to have a note of its serial number and photographs. For livestock, photographs and descriptions of any identifying marks can be invaluable. The more detailed information that can be passed onto the police, the more likely they are to retrieve the stolen items.

You should report any suspicious activity to police, giving as much detail as possible. Take note of the number plates of any suspicious vehicles and descriptions of anyone who you don’t know. If someone is on your farm or croft do not approach them, instead call 999.

Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to guarantee complete security. But by taking simple measures you can significantly decrease the chances of being a victim of rural crime.

Member activities

NFU Scotland regions took to the road this week. Led by regional manager Christine Cuthbertson, a busload from Ayrshire made the long trip to the Farm Business Innovation Show at the NEC Birmingham, thanks to funding from Ayrshire LEADER ,and coincided with the launch of the NFU Mutual Diversification Report.

Joint venture hub at AgriScot

NFU Scotland will be launching a joint venture hub at AgriScot next week (Wednesday 21 November). The hub will be aimed at those with an interest in share- and contract-farming and tenancies, to be able to set up connections with farm businesses which they could collaborate with and generate new opportunities in the industry.

Work needed on ag bill

NFU Scotland has called upon the UK and Scottish Government to resolve their differences on the Agriculture Bill. In a letter sent to Secretary of State Michael Gove MP and Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing MSP, the Union has urged the respective governments to end the current impasse and to work constructively to ensure that Scotland can develop and implement a new Scottish agricultural policy after Brexit.

Highlighting quad safety

Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, continued her campaign to encourage farmers and crofters to wear a helmet while riding quad bikes, by bringing a quad bike to the Garden Lobby in the Scottish Parliament to highlight the issue to the nation’s MSPs. NFU Scotland has adopted a new policy where it will no longer use photos, videos and advertisements of agricultural workers unless a helmet is worn.