A long-running trend of declining agricultural crime in NI has stopped, the latest figures from the PSNI indicate.

In the 2023 calendar year, there were 228 incidents of theft or robbery on NI farms, which is almost unchanged from the 226 cases that occurred the previous year.

However, last year’s figure is 12% higher than the 203 incidents that occurred in 2021 and marks the second consecutive year where the number of agricultural crime incidents increased.

Before that, the number of farm-related crimes that were reported to the PSNI had seen a sustained decline.

The peak was seen in 2011 when 906 cases were reported to police and the record low was the 203 incidents that occurred in 2021.

Across the 11 regional policing districts in NI, agricultural crime was on the rise in six districts last year.

The highest number of incidents occurred in the Fermanagh and Omagh district and the Newry, Mourne and Down district where 36 cases were reported in both.