Rural crime cost Wales £2.2m last year despite fall in offences

Nation.Cymru staff

Rural crime cost Wales an estimated £2.2 million last year, with organised criminals continuing to target tractors, livestock and farming equipment despite an overall fall in offences, according to a new report.

New figures published by the NFU Mutual insurance company 1910 show the cost of rural crime in Wales fell by 21% in 2025 compared with the previous year, down from £2.8m to £2.2m.

The insurer said the reduction reflected greater collaboration between farmers, police, insurers and rural crime units, although some types of theft continued to rise.

In particular, Wales saw a 6% increase in the cost of agricultural vehicle thefts, with criminals increasingly targeting tractors.

Livestock thefts also rose by almost 7% compared with 2024, a trend NFU Mutual said was especially concerning in Wales because of the importance of livestock farming to the rural economy and food production.

Across the UK as a whole, rural crime was estimated to have cost £41.5m in 2025, down from £44.1m the previous year.

The report said organised criminal groups continued to target quad bikes, agricultural vehicles and livestock, while thefts of GPS equipment fell significantly following joint action by police, farmers and insurers.

NFU Mutual chief executive Nick Turner said rural crime continued to have a major impact on farming communities.

He said: “For more than 20 years, NFU Mutual has called for a stronger response to rural crime, and we know the financial and emotional toll it takes on farmers.”

He said the insurer had invested more than £500,000 in rural crime initiatives last year, including funding for the National Rural Crime Unit and the UK’s first dedicated livestock theft officer.

The organisation has also worked with police forces to install 13 automatic number plate recognition cameras across rural hotspots in England and Wales to help track suspicious vehicles.

Organised

Hannah Binns, the company’s Rural Affairs Specialist, said rural crime was becoming increasingly organised and warned against complacency despite the overall reduction in Wales.

She said: “The impact of rural crime extends beyond financial loss, undermining trust and connection, often leaving a trauma that can remain with farmers, their families and wider communities for a lifetime.”

The report also included a survey of 119 NFU Mutual agents, with 91% saying rural crime was disrupting farming in their area and 79% reporting that they knew farmers who had been repeatedly targeted.

Nearly a third said they had seen farmers change working practices or leave the industry altogether because of rural crime.