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The ag retailer knew it was present in its vehicle the
day before, having calibrated the tractor in anticipation
of the demonstration.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only ag shop to be hit that
night. Although the Clinton shop had eight precision
ag components—all monitors and antennas—stolen,
an additional four tractors and five combines were hit
at its Atlanta store. Bane-Welker Equipment and AHW,
LLC dealerships were also hit on different dates and
locations, as well.
Because of the large number of thefts, and the distance
between the robbery sites, law enforcement does
not consider it to be the work of an individual. While
unstated, it’s either several individuals with the same
idea, or the onset of an organized ring or rings, which
we know is hardly encouraging.
For a spot of good news for any shop or farm
experiencing a theft, although the microchips are not
able to be tracked, the monitors and antennas can be
disabled to render them useless to anyone looking
to reuse—provided the precision ag equipment uses
a system that allow that function, such as the AFS
Connect from manufacturer Case IH.
Over in the United Kingdom, reports have also
surfaced of precision ag component theft, where two
monitors and antenna were stolen in north Devon from
a tractor, as well as other similar thefts in Wiltshire and
Gloucestershire. And there have been reports of more
around the globe.
In the US, it was estimated that agricultural crime
resulted in some $5-billion in losses annually—and this
was data from a 2007 report. The lack of more recently
dated reports is also indicative of how little ag crime is
considered important in society today.
Of those estimated losses, however, the report noted
that only about 12-percent of all ag-related crimes were
reported to the police.
When theft of precision ag components does occur,
there is a lot of ancillary damage affected to the
vehicle such as cut wiring, or scratches or dents.
And because of the specific types of components
being stolen, parts replacement may not be quick or
simple, meaning the vehicle could be out of service
for an extended period of time. Downtime, of course,
implies loss for the precision ag farmer, be it in crop
yield opportunity, time or income.
While it can be expected that most victimized ag
farmers and dealers have some form of insurance to
protect themselves, the non-availability to use the
stolen products impacts farmers directly in the form
of lower profits or costs that are passed down to the
consumer in the form of higher prices. It’s cliché, but
crime affects everyone.
The Simple Solution Is The Best
Short of having guards stationed 24/7 around the
farm and in particular the higher-valued precision ag
equipment—a costly solution—there are other options.
Deterrent options might include free-roaming guard
dogs, such as often seen in auto repo facilities, or the
use of motion-detection lighting systems may also
frighten off would-be thieves.
Motion-capturing cameras or CCTV systems are also a
choice but are probably only good for providing details
of the theft to authorities, rather than its prevention.
However, the wide-open nature of the industry—be
it ag retail shop or farm—precludes usage of such
deterrents unless the valuable tech is purposely moved
to a more secure singular area.
Vehicles could certainly be transferred to a lockable
shed when not in use, but if someone wants in, they
will find a way. And placing everything under one roof
can have the unwanted effect of making things easier
for the criminal mind.
The most obvious preventative solution is for farm
operators to unplug their precision ag components—
those capable of being removed by the user—from
their machinery after use and place it somewhere
secure and then bring it back to reinstall in the
morning.
It’s simple and obvious. And it is achievable.
So far, the criminals involved in precision ag tech
components are looking for the quick and easy
theft in lonely outdoor locales—as such, moving the
components to a lockbox within a locked room within
a locked facility could be a triple-deterrent.
Loss & Recovery
Recommended, though hardly a deterrent or
preventative solution, is to cross your T’s and dot your
I’s and make sure you have access to your equipment’s
documentation.