Technology that can help protect South Africa's farms

Farm attacks, murders, livestock and crop theft, and other rural crimes are a growing concern in South Africa. As a result, more and more farmers are turning to advanced security technology to protect their lives, properties, and livelihoods. Sinenhlanhla Mncwango spoke to experts about the security strategies that producers can adopt to combat these threats.

- Sinenhlanhla Mncwango

Farming is the backbone of South Africa’s economy, contributing significantly to food security, employment, and rural development. However, as farms face increasing threats from crime, safeguarding agricultural assets has become a top priority for producers across the country.

The rise in farm attacks, livestock theft, and rural crime in general has created an urgent need for more sophisticated and reliable farm security solutions.

In response to this, new technologies are being developed and implemented, offering hope to farmers who are desperate to protect their lives and livelihoods.

Farm crime in South Africa has escalated dramatically in recent years. Isolated and vulnerable, many farms have become attractive targets for criminals seeking to exploit their perceived lack of security. Retired South African National Defence Force lieutenantcolonel Laurence Palmer, a security and risk management consultant who specialises in farm security, stresses the severity of the issue.

“Farms are generally identified as vulnerable, isolated, and with limited security response.

"They become soft targets with assets for easy picking, especially when local rumours spread about the presence of firearms or cash.

"Records indicate that 83% of farm attackers are known to the farmers being attacked," he says.

Whether it's disgruntled workers, a criminal gang, or opportunistic thieves, the dangers that farmers and their workers face on a daily basis are multifaceted and require robust, multilayered security solutions.

MODERN SECURITY TECHNOLOGY

To counter the threat, the agriculture sector is increasingly turning to modern technology. Some of the most promising advancements in farm security come in the form of humanpresence-detection radar units, underground movement sensors, and drones equipped with surveillance capabilities.