Samuel Kurtz has criticised the surge in rural crime in Wales, highlighting the strain on rural businesses and the lack of government support amidst rising costs and organised criminal activity.

According to new figures from NFU Mutual, rural crime cost Welsh communities an estimated £2.8 million in 2024, an 18 per cent increase on the previous year. Wales is the only UK nation to have experienced a rise as organised criminal activity targeting farms and rural properties grows. The most commonly stolen items, quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles, are essential to day-to-day farm operations and often costly to replace.

Incidents of theft and livestock loss are placing additional pressure on already strained rural businesses in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. Many farmers have had to invest in expensive security upgrades in the face of repeated targeting.

Despite efforts by police forces in Wales to enhance rural crime teams, introducing DNA asset-marking kits and upgraded surveillance, the vast geography and isolated nature of rural communities make prevention and response particularly challenging.

Senedd Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Samuel Kurtz said:

“These figures are both alarming and deeply disappointing. Rural communities in Wales are being let down.

“Criminals see the countryside as an easy target, and it’s vital that we invest in both policing and preventative infrastructure to reverse this trend. However, the UK Labour government’s recent Spending Review will certainly make policing more challenging and shows yet again that rural issues, and the concerns of rural communities, are just not on Labour’s radar at all.

“Farmers need real support, not just from the police, but from Government, to feel safe and secure in their homes and livelihoods. I will continue to stand up for these communities and ensure their voice is heard by both the Welsh and UK governments.”