Thieves are targeting farmers and farm yards knowing exactly what they need to steal to fill an order.

Crimestoppers, the IFA, Gardaí and DoneDeal launched an initiative this week to tackle farm theft and rural crime.

The launch of TheftStop heard that there have been 30,000 farm thefts registered in the past five years and the key to stopping the theft of agricultural equipment is to ensure that the market is not there for it. “There would be no farm crime if people weren’t buying bargains. Go to a reputable dealer,” said Robin Talbot, a farmer who was a victim of rural crime. His jeep, chainsaw and hedge-trimmer were stolen in June this year. “The perpetrators had some sort of shopping list because other items of equal value were left behind,’’ he said.

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Increase

Figures released by the CSO in relation to farm thefts have cited a huge increase in the amount burglaries since the turn of the decade. Between 2010 and 2015, the number of farm-related burglaries has increased 398% from 284 reported burglaries in 2010 to 1,132 reported cases in 2015. 2014 to 2015 represented the biggest jump in the last six years, with figures nearly doubling from 656 to 1,132 reported cases. 2015 had the highest rate of reported burglaries, accounting for a third of all burglaries since 2010. By 31 March 2016, there were 128 documented farm thefts.

Since 2010, over 28,642 farm-related crime incidents have been reported according to CSO figures.