Sunday, 18 September 2011
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
‘Agri-crime’ cost rockets as thieves target countryside (From Smallholder)
‘Agri-crime’ cost rockets as thieves target countryside
• Theft to UK agriculture is estimated to have cost £49.7 million in 2010 • Tractor theft claims costs have increased 64% in two years • livestock rustling re-emerges as austerity measures bite • Crooks most likely to strike after midnight Criminals are systematically targeting Britain’s farms with the costs of tractor, livestock and oil thefts rising sharply, warns NFU Mutual.
New figures from the UK’s leading rural insurer NFU Mutual, reveals that the cost of theft from UK farms is estimated to have risen to £49.7 million in 2010 – an increase of 17% from the previous year. Two thirds (62%) of the insurer’s branches have reported an increase in rural crime in their area.
The NFU Mutual Rural Crime Survey is based on the 2010 claims experience of 272 of its network of more than 320 branch offices located in rural towns and villages. Unlike some crime reports, NFU Mutual’s survey includes claims for crimes against homes, farms, commercial premises and vehicles.
Tractor thefts remain a major problem for farmers, with a significant increase in the number of tractors being stolen and exported from channel ports to final destinations across the globe. The number of tractor theft claims dealt with by NFU Mutual rose by 8% in 2010 while the cost of claims rose 21% reflecting the trend for thieves to target expensive tractors.
As a mutual organisation with a vested interest in the farming community, NFU Mutual is committed to cutting claims costs where possible. To combat the problem of tractor thefts the company has been sponsoring a police unit to coordinate national and international operations to catch thieves.
NFU Mutual is also encouraging farmers to do their bit by improving tractor security through offering premium discounts of up to 27.5% to policyholders who fit approved security measures, including CESAR registration, immobilisers and tracker devices.
The Crime Survey also revealed that livestock rustling is also on the rise. During the first six months of 2011, 142 rustling claims were reported to NFU Mutual – compared with 156 in the whole of 2010. North-East England was the worst affected area in 2010, followed by Northern Ireland, North-West England and the Midlands.
NFU Mutual has seen a dramatic increase in claims for farm diesel and domestic heating oil since the cost of oil surged at the end of 2010. Following price increases, claims for stolen heating oil rocketed 264% in January 2011.
The survey also highlighted an increased demand for high-priced items that are portable and easy to sell on. The theft of power tools such as chainsaws, electric drills and lawnmowers has topped the “most stolen” list, although the NFU Mutual Crime Map shows different priorities across the country.
59% of NFU Mutual branches believe that the most common time of day for thieves to act is during the night (midnight – 6am).
When asked about the main reason thieves target the countryside, 41% of NFU Mutual branches said the fact it was such a sparse area made it difficult to police, with 32% claiming there was less chance of thieves being seen. 23% thought relaxed attitudes towards to security measures could also be a factor.
“Whether it’s the recession, tighter security in towns, or the rise in oil, meat and scrap metal prices countryside people are feeling the blight of rural crime on their land,” said Lindsay Sinclair, NFU Mutual Chief Executive.
Sinclair continued: “Country people are not taking this scourge lying down. Across the country new rural security initiatives are springing up involving rural communities and insurers such as NFU Mutual.
“We’ve already seen that by working with the police forces and manufacturers, tractor theft and organised rural crime can be tackled head-on. A united front against crime in the countryside will help to protect communities from being targeted further with vigilance as the watchword.”
Link : http://www.smallholder.co.uk/news/9183709.___Agri_crime____cost_rockets_as_thieves_target_countryside/
• Theft to UK agriculture is estimated to have cost £49.7 million in 2010 • Tractor theft claims costs have increased 64% in two years • livestock rustling re-emerges as austerity measures bite • Crooks most likely to strike after midnight Criminals are systematically targeting Britain’s farms with the costs of tractor, livestock and oil thefts rising sharply, warns NFU Mutual.
New figures from the UK’s leading rural insurer NFU Mutual, reveals that the cost of theft from UK farms is estimated to have risen to £49.7 million in 2010 – an increase of 17% from the previous year. Two thirds (62%) of the insurer’s branches have reported an increase in rural crime in their area.
The NFU Mutual Rural Crime Survey is based on the 2010 claims experience of 272 of its network of more than 320 branch offices located in rural towns and villages. Unlike some crime reports, NFU Mutual’s survey includes claims for crimes against homes, farms, commercial premises and vehicles.
Tractor thefts remain a major problem for farmers, with a significant increase in the number of tractors being stolen and exported from channel ports to final destinations across the globe. The number of tractor theft claims dealt with by NFU Mutual rose by 8% in 2010 while the cost of claims rose 21% reflecting the trend for thieves to target expensive tractors.
As a mutual organisation with a vested interest in the farming community, NFU Mutual is committed to cutting claims costs where possible. To combat the problem of tractor thefts the company has been sponsoring a police unit to coordinate national and international operations to catch thieves.
NFU Mutual is also encouraging farmers to do their bit by improving tractor security through offering premium discounts of up to 27.5% to policyholders who fit approved security measures, including CESAR registration, immobilisers and tracker devices.
The Crime Survey also revealed that livestock rustling is also on the rise. During the first six months of 2011, 142 rustling claims were reported to NFU Mutual – compared with 156 in the whole of 2010. North-East England was the worst affected area in 2010, followed by Northern Ireland, North-West England and the Midlands.
NFU Mutual has seen a dramatic increase in claims for farm diesel and domestic heating oil since the cost of oil surged at the end of 2010. Following price increases, claims for stolen heating oil rocketed 264% in January 2011.
The survey also highlighted an increased demand for high-priced items that are portable and easy to sell on. The theft of power tools such as chainsaws, electric drills and lawnmowers has topped the “most stolen” list, although the NFU Mutual Crime Map shows different priorities across the country.
59% of NFU Mutual branches believe that the most common time of day for thieves to act is during the night (midnight – 6am).
When asked about the main reason thieves target the countryside, 41% of NFU Mutual branches said the fact it was such a sparse area made it difficult to police, with 32% claiming there was less chance of thieves being seen. 23% thought relaxed attitudes towards to security measures could also be a factor.
“Whether it’s the recession, tighter security in towns, or the rise in oil, meat and scrap metal prices countryside people are feeling the blight of rural crime on their land,” said Lindsay Sinclair, NFU Mutual Chief Executive.
Sinclair continued: “Country people are not taking this scourge lying down. Across the country new rural security initiatives are springing up involving rural communities and insurers such as NFU Mutual.
“We’ve already seen that by working with the police forces and manufacturers, tractor theft and organised rural crime can be tackled head-on. A united front against crime in the countryside will help to protect communities from being targeted further with vigilance as the watchword.”
Link : http://www.smallholder.co.uk/news/9183709.___Agri_crime____cost_rockets_as_thieves_target_countryside/
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Tank Dryer
Check For Water in Your Fuel Storage Tank
The addition of FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) is better for the environment (reduces emissions by 28%) but a lot worse for your Fuel storage tank.
The addition of FAME or Bio Fuel is the leading cause of the growth of "Bugs in Fuel"....
A science lesson! - Water gets into Oil Storage Tanks by many means.. Rainwater through the vent, delivered with the fuel and the very nature of fuel in that it contracts and expands with changes in temperature means that your tank is quite literally breathing and pulling in nice moist air. When this air cools when in contact with the surface of the tank, water droplets form and run into the heating oil. The density of water means that it quickly sinks below the Fuel and forms a layer of water between the sludge at the bottom of the tank and the stored heating oil. This interface between the water and oil contains microbes that only need a tiny amount of water for survival and they feed on the Hydrocarbons in the fuel. As these microbes reproduce and form larger colonies they create a Bio film that is thick and sticky which contaminates the interior of your tank. Their waste produces -You've guessed it! - MORE WATER!, sludge and acids.
These bi-products can lead to blocked filters and severe contamination of the fuel. This fuel is then pumped into machinery, vehicles or heating boilers where it can cause untold damage to injectors etc.
This leads to downtime of boilers, machinery and vehicles and severe disruption to productivity. Imagine we are in the depths of Winter and your boiler stops working due to a build up of sludge in your tank that has passed through to your Boiler... COLD days and nights ahead!
We have a solution to removing water in your tank, reducing the aqueous environment in which these BUGS survive and reproduce.
Tank Dryer
- Versatile - Fits in most 2" fill points on both Steel and Plastic storage tanks
- Highly Absorbent - Reduces the risk of bug formation and contaminated fuel that can cause machinery, vehicle and boiler damage
- Cord and Weight attached - Quick and Easy to Use
- Cheap - At only £13.60 + Vat and Delivery - This small cost far outweighs the cost of replacement boiler, Machinery and vehicle parts and the downtime and loss of productivity.
Please call Centre Tank Services on 0121 351 4445 and order yours today
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
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