The number of agricultural crimes that occurred in NI last year was the second lowest on record, according to figures published by the PSNI.

There were 208 incidents of theft or robbery on NI farms during the 2024 calendar year, down from 228 cases the year before. The lowest number of agricultural crimes ever recorded in NI occurred in 2021 when 203 cases were reported to the PSNI.

Whilst the number of farm related crimes has been relatively steady over the past four years, there was a sustained decline in the decade before that.

According to PSNI records, the peak year for agricultural crime was in 2011 when 906 cases were reported to police.

The latest figures for 2024 show that across the 11 regional policing districts in NI, agricultural crime fell in eight districts last year.

The highest number of incidents occurred in the Newry, Mourne and Down district where 47 cases occurred, followed by Mid Ulster with 33 cases and 27 incidents in Causeway Coast and Glens.

The lowest number of agricultural crimes occurred in Belfast City, where just one incident was reported last year, followed by three cases in the Ards and North Down district.

Across all types of crime in rural areas, there was a 17% drop in the number of incidents last year with 3,571 cases recorded by the PSNI.

Again, the Newry, Mourne and Down district had the highest number of incidents of rural crime with 608 cases.

The figures show that crimes in rural areas and those related to agriculture continue to make up a relatively small proportion of all incidents that are reported to police.

In total, there were 23,796 incidents of theft and robbery in NI last year, with just 15% of these happening in rural areas and less than 1% were related to agriculture.