With theft in rural areas continually on the rise and the cost of farming itself continuing to go up, it’s hardly surprising that many farmers turn to CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) to protect their assets. Importantly, CCTV can be a key factor in helping you make sure that you comply with current legislation and help you demonstrate that you are within government guidelines. From preventing theft to monitoring pest control, CCTV can have multiple benefits to farm life – if you haven’t already, it could be time for an investment.
One of CCTV’s primary functions is theft deterrence – the College of Policing’s Crime Reduction Toolkit associates CCTV with “a statistically significant decrease in crime”. Many farmers use CCTV to try and prevent thefts from taking place, as well as helping with regards to insurance claims. It’s also important to remember that simply the visible presence of CCTV signs can help to deter potential criminals from viewing your property as an easy target. High value items such as machinery are at constant risk of opportunistic theft, so the presence of CCTV (and signs advertising its presence) will reduce this risk and help protect the farm’s assets. CCTV is also linked to reductions in animal mortality, which can more than cover the costs of installation when taking into account the value of animals saved.
In addition to theft deterrence, CCTV can also provide valuable remote monitoring services for individuals whose farms are spread over wide areas or perhaps for night-time observation during calving and lambing season. Being able to see what’s going on in your farm – no matter when or where – can prove a critical tool when no one factor can be relied upon to stay how it was when you left it!
As well as looking at your assets from afar, CCTV can be a useful way of preventing trespassing, especially given the sharp increase in staycationers in the wake of the pandemic. Making sure that your land is well signed and recorded can prevent unwanted ramblers from straying from designated footpaths, and prevent any harm coming to your crops or livestock from those who might not look after them as well as they should.
Being able to monitor your farmland and machinery can also significantly increase the safety of your farm. With CCTV, you’re able to monitor how your employees handle machinery and, if necessary, put in place safety protocols to better manage potential hazards around the farm. Also, given the increased visibility of areas covered by CCTV, surveillance equipment can help you monitor pest levels across your assets, finding weak points and functioning alongside traditional pest control solutions to reduce the potential hazards that pests can present.
If you’re a farmer who hasn’t yet got CCTV and would like to discuss with one of our team how you could benefit, then you can contact us here. And if you’re still not sure? Why not read more advice, tips, and tricks on the Corona IT blog.
