9 / 33
09
PRECISION AG EQUIPMENT
IS A
HOT
TOPIC
For as long as people have had nice
things, others have coveted them, and the
truly unscrupulous steal them.
In the days of yore, farmers had to be aware of cattle
rustlers, horse thieves and folks trying to poach
livestock, crops, equipment and such.
But nowadays, the new kick is stealing components—
such is the case when it comes to precision ag
equipment. Not only is it a hot topic, but it has become
a hot commodity as a lucrative target for thieves.
It’s not the outright theft of an autonomous tractor,
for example, but rather its parts. Expensive parts, and
easily transportable parts—components that can be
utilized in other technologies and in other sectors.
Or at least that’s the feeling among law enforcement
agencies, though others believe it’s only a matter
of a quick, no-questions-asked transaction at an ag
equipment fair.
Precision ag machinery uses GPS satellite receivers
and a controller in the cab for exacting control of
the equipment. However, the biggest targets for theft
appear to be auto-guidance monitors and antennas—
perhaps because both are easy enough to remove
without damaging the components.
Some pundits believe the microchips contained
within the monitors draw interest because of a global
shortage of micro chips.
It Takes A Thief
Central Illinois Ag, a Clinton, Illinois-based ag shop,
recently discovered the theft of some of its precision
ag machinery components.
A Degelman Industries, L.P. representative was
planning to move a tractor from the ag shop to an
event, when it was discovered that the auto guidance
monitor and antenna were missing.
Tech component theft is becoming an expensive
concern in the ag industry. Precision Agriculture
Digital Digest provides advice to protect yourself
and your investment.
ANDREW JOSEPH
FARMS.COM
PHOTO: sqback/iStock/Getty Images Plus