Criminal damage, arson and burglary were also commonly reported, along with incidents of gates being left open, livestock worrying and fly-grazing.
In terms of the police response to crime 29% of farmers said officers had taken sufficient action, though 21% felt they had not – with more than half the respondents saying they felt that insufficient resources were dedicated to fighting rural crime in their county.
Nearly a quarter of those who responded to the survey said they had not bothered reporting incidents of crime at all.
South West NFU regional director Melanie Squires said: “I know that this is one of the most frustrating issues faced by farmers, but it is very important that everyone who experiences a crime reports it, so police forces have an accurate record of how much crime is taking place and whereabouts it is. This will help demonstrate the scale of the problem and will support us when it comes to arguing for more police resources to be allocated to rural areas.”
The results of the survey echo the findings of leading rural insurer NFU Mutual, which revealed that rural crime cost the South West £6.1m in 2015, with thieves commonly targeting tools from farms and businesses, quad bikes (ATVs) and garden equipment.
“Crime is having a massive impact on the countryside,” said Tim Price, NFU Mutual Rural Affairs specialist.
“While insurance can cover the costs of replacing stolen machines and livestock, there are also many extra costs involved in rebuilding flocks and replacing equipment.
“Sadly thieves never go away – if security is improved in one area, they look for other targets – that’s why we are working closely with the NFU and police to help farmers and country people stay one step ahead of the criminals.”
Almost half the respondents to the South West NFU survey said their experience of crime had prompted them to increase security measures, with many installing CCTV and making sure gates and vehicles were always locked, even though this had a cost in that it meant carrying out tasks around the farm often took longer.