Free State farmers count the cost of crime: R1.4bn, and that’s a conservative estimate
Free State farmers say crime is costing them up to R1.4bn a year — a "conservative" estimate based on a new survey of 76 commercial farms. Farmers say the cumulative effect of burglaries‚ vehicle and stock theft is compounded by the fact that more than 50% of their livestock is uninsured. The survey‚ conducted in the Virginia district by the Free State Agriculture (FSA) Safety Desk‚ found that the annual cost of crime in rural areas ranged between R564m and R1.4bn. The figure excluded the estimated 20%-25% under-reporting of criminal incidents. "Some farmers also do not qualify for insurance any more‚ as they have had to claim for theft many times and are regarded as a high risk‚" FSA said in a statement. Among the long list of items targeted by criminals are scrap metal (including solar panels‚ iron rods and corrugated iron)‚ copper cable theft‚ maize and diesel. However‚ the number of prosecutions in relation to reported crimes was only about 5%‚ FSA said. "When a farmer’s solar p...
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