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NRCN Action Week highlights success of CESAR and Datatag

Rural crime continues to be one of the most costly and disruptive challenges facing farming communities, from the theft of high-value tractors and GPS units to the targeting of smaller vehicles such as ATVs, trailers and 4x4s. The losses run into millions each year, but the impact reaches far beyond the financial cost, with delays to harvests, stress for families, and serious disruption to rural businesses.

The National Rural Crime Network (NRCN) Action Week (8th - 12th September) is shining a spotlight on these issues, bringing together police, insurers, industry partners and rural residents to work collectively on solutions. Among the tools already making a real difference are the CESAR Scheme and the wider range of forensic security systems developed by Datatag ID Ltd.

CESAR, the official Construction and Agricultural Equipment Security and Registration Scheme owned by the CEA and supported by the AEA, provides machinery with a unique, permanent identity using Datatag’s proven technologies. With overt triangular ID plates, hidden RFID transponders, Datadots® and a covert forensic DNA solution, CESAR makes it almost impossible for criminals to disguise stolen equipment. Police forces across the UK are equipped with the RAPID app, allowing instant checks in the field and helping to secure recoveries and prosecutions. Officers nationwide have also been trained in its use, further strengthening frontline capability.

The effectiveness of the scheme is perhaps best illustrated in Derbyshire, where the police have made CESAR and Datatag a cornerstone of their rural crime strategy. Working closely with farmers and dealers, more than 70,000 assets, ranging from livestock trailers to combine harvesters, have been protected. The results are striking: theft rates of CESAR-marked machinery have dropped to just 0.06% when recoveries are included, with recovery rates three times the national average.

CESAR is industry-recognised and backed by leading agricultural brands, including John Deere, New Holland, Kubota, Massey Ferguson, and Manitou, many of which fit the system as standard. It is also supported by insurers, with the NFU offering significantly reduced premiums for CESAR-protected machines.

Alongside CESAR, Datatag has developed specialist systems to protect other high-risk items, including agricultural GPS units, trailers, and 4x4s. GPS theft, in particular, has become a significant threat, with devices often worth tens of thousands of pounds and vital to modern farming operations. Datatag’s dedicated GPS Security System gives each unit a permanent and traceable identity, closing the gap that criminals have exploited and giving police the confidence to seize and return stolen property. For trailers, which have traditionally been difficult to recover due to the lack of a standardised registration system, Datatag technology provides a long-overdue solution.

The shared success of CESAR and Datatag reflects the three pillars that underpin NRCN Action Week: deterrence, identification and collaboration. Clear ID plates and warning decals act as a visible deterrent, hidden technologies provide indisputable proof of ownership, and strong partnerships between industry, insurers and law enforcement ensure the system works in practice.

As rural crime becomes increasingly sophisticated, the case for installing advanced security has never been stronger. NRCN Action Week shows what can be achieved when farmers, manufacturers, insurers, and the police work together, and the Derbyshire experience is proof that crime can be driven down to almost zero. For rural communities under pressure, systems like CESAR and Datatag are giving them the chance to fight back, protect livelihoods and build a safer countryside for the future.

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