Fears were expressed today that a major rural crime wave could break out across Wales as a result of the £7bn annual welfare payment cuts announced in the Coalition Government's Spending Review.
Farmers' Union of Wales Gwent area officer Neil Smith, who has witnessed a big increase in farm equipment thefts over the past two months, said: "With such a reduction in social and welfare payments, and considering the current economic climate, we could see a further increase in such thefts."
Abergavenny-based Mr Smith, who visits farms as part of his job, said the situation was particularly bad in Gwent. He is personally aware of two trailers, mini diggers and a couple of quad bikes being stolen over the past few weeks.
Last month the FUW warned farmers to be on the alert for three men from the Cardiff area with a pellet gun who claimed to be rabbiting when the white transit van they were travelling in was spotted parked on two separate farms in the Neath area.
Police inspected the inside of the van - CV05 YPK - at Llwynllanc Farm, Crynant, and nothing was found but it was seen again five days later parked on a neighbouring farm.
"We are anxious to highlight this incident because there have been a lot of farm quad bikes stolen in that area recently," said FUW Glamorgan county executive officer Adrian Evans.
"The police are warning farmers that the rabbiting claim could be just another scam by criminals to give them a degree of legitimacy for being on farm land and having a good look around the buildings."
Police revealed that a notable arrest was made in Aberdulais recently when two Merthyr men were apprehended for going equipped to steal. They were also using a transit van which contained empty diesel drums and siphoning equipment.
They are also investigating after a stolen tractor was left crashed into a tree at Gellyfowy Fawr, Ynysmeudwy, Pontardawe, and a steel gate was stolen from Brynchwyth, Tonna.
The union's Gwent county executive officer Glyn Davies said: "The stealing of diesel is very common and farmers need to take extra safety measures.
"It was only a few weeks ago that three attempted tractor thefts were made in the Gwent area. The winter months are approaching and early dark evenings make farms a target."
Beryl Yeomans, of White Hill Farm, Wonastow, Monmouth, had her tractor stolen recently and it was only due to the watchful eye of a neighbour travelling to work early one morning that the culprits could be stopped.
"It was the end of September and the police rang us at 5am in the morning to ask if we were missing a tractor. They said they found the tractor on the road with the engine running and wheels turning with just the hand brake on.
"A neighbour had happened to go to work early that day and saw the tractor being driven along the road quite slowly. He must have scared them of and they jumped in a car and drove of.
"He informed the police of the location of the tractor and the car's registration immediately. We are very lucky that the tractor was found with only minor damage.
"It was an old tractor but it also had a silage bale handler on the loader. We could never have replaced all of this just from the insurance money. We will now look into further security measures," Mrs Yeomans added.