More needs to be done about rural crime, according to Federated Farmers.

Its national Rural Crime Survey report showed an increase in rural crime rates last year, with 67% of farmers surveyed saying they had been a victim of crime or suspected they had in hard-to-prove incidents such as livestock theft or killing.

In Mid Canterbury, farmers have continued to be a target for random thefts of easy-to-steal items, including fuel and machinery. Crimes ranged from diesel siphoned from an irrigator to hundreds of dollars worth of lily stems stolen from a local farm - for the second consecutive year.

Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers president David Acland said theft from rural properties seemed to go in cycles with “ups and downs” in crime rates.

Farmers were being hit by random fuel thefts and thieves stealing the likes of farm bikes, side-by-sides or the farming plant and machinery taken from yards, he said.

“I’ve not heard of major issues. We are more vigilant in rural centres now. There are not as many opportunities and farmers are conscious of where they park machinery.”

The survey found that more than a third of farmers across New Zealand had been affected by property theft, and almost half (47.1%) were affected by illegal hunting or poaching.

Acland said he sometimes heard vehicles driving past at night but wasn’t aware of a particular problem with poaching in the area.

“There are always people who will push the limits of where they should or shouldn’t be hunting.”

However, with the large areas of conservation land in Mid Canterbury there were “lots of opportunities” for hunters.

Acland said he regularly had hunters coming through his property, which tended to deter poachers.

With duck season and the roar coming up, Acland said hunters needed to be mindful of others and follow the rules, especially with the dry conditions and increased fire risk in the backcountry.

Mid Canterbury farmers had become “better at reporting incidents” as it helped build a picture of crime in the area. But there was some frustration at “small stuff” being stolen and the perception that nothing was done about it, Acland said.

Federated Farmers national rural policing spokesperson Richard McIntyre said he was particularly worried by the high rates of illegal hunting and killing of livestock because it involved offenders coming onto farms with firearms.

The rising rates of rural crime makes a strong case for more police resources in rural areas, he said.

By Sharon Davis