Spring barley that will become beer and winter wheat that will become vodka – these are examples of what farmer Filip Niléhn grows on his farm outside Kristianstad. One morning the other week he discovered that three of his irrigation cannons were stationary. It turned out that he had been the victim of theft.
"They take the spreader that sits furthest out and throws out the water. That's not good. On the one hand, it is costly to change them, but above all, it disrupts the entire flow on the farm.
Almost 100 thefts
Lantbruksnytt was the first to report on the new wave of theft. During the autumn, the thefts started and since then about 70 water cannons have been stolen in Skåne – mainly around Kristianstad – and about 15 in Östergötland, according to Fredrik Svensson, agricultural manager at Länsförsäkringar Göinge-Kristianstad.
Believed to be resold
Fredrik Svensson does not know what use the irrigation guns have for the thieves – they do not steal the entire facilities – but he suspects that they are being sold on.
To avoid theft, farmers have resorted to creative solutions – for example, by welding the spreaders. In this way, it makes it more difficult for thieves.
"It's about gaining time. Many of these machines are connected to alarms in your mobile phone that alarm when the irrigation spreader is not working properly. Then it is important to get out to the machine, says Fredrik Svensson.
In the video clip you can follow Filip Niléhn's plantations.