Higher risk of crime aimed at farms

ON THE LAND: Federated Farmers Rotorua provincial president Alan Wills said isolated farms were more at risk for rustling. PHOTO/FILE

Rotorua farmers are being warned to watch out for a "perfect storm" of rural crime as animal theft and drug growing operations ramp up over summer.

This time of year sees cannabis growers taking advantage of farmland to cultivate illicit crops, Federated Farmers warns.

Equipment and fuel theft often come hand in hand, as does stock rustling - which is estimated to cost the farming community about $120 million per year.

A website that allows farmers to report stock theft shows six sheep worth $600 were rustled from a Hamurana Rd property in June.

Five romney ewes worth $800 were reported stolen from a Whakatane farm in November.

Federated Farmers Rotorua provincial president Alan Wills said rustling wasn't common in populated areas, but isolated farms were more at risk.

"What probably happens is someone will do a drive-by and shoot an animal from the road and go and butcher it quickly."

Rustlers almost always killed for food for themselves, he said.

Farm equipment and fuel theft were happening "all the time".

"Just quick stuff they can pick up and run away with."

Despite warnings about cannabis growers using farmland, Mr Wills said illicit crops weren't something he looked out for.

Farmers around the country are being urged to be vigilant and report any thefts and suspicious activity on their land.

"At this time of the year we are in the perfect rural crime storm," Federated Farmers rural security spokeswoman Katie Milne said.

"Illicit cannabis growers are at work, the rustlers are hitting farms and we expect equipment and even fuel theft. I have no doubt in some cases the three are interrelated."

Gardening tools and equipment like quad bikes were popular targets, as was fuel when prices were high.

The equipment was often used to grow cannabis on rural land.

"Cannabis growers will focus on back country areas by planting among crops which can mask plantations from all but the air," she said.

The theft of specially-bred and often "irreplaceable" animals was a "double kick in the guts" for farmers.

However, farmers now had more tools to fight rural crime.

The "Stop Stock Theft" website, jointly run by Crimestoppers, NZX-Agri and police, allowed victims to report thefts anonymously to help build intelligence and map common crime spots.

Federated Farmers said since July, the website had received more than 1200 reports of rural crime by Christmas, a number now expected to be in the "thousands".

A rural crime survey conducted by Rural Women NZ last year showed 70 per cent of respondents believed fuel theft was a problem, and more than half were worried about vehicle theft.