Osamu Okata is taking no chances after thieves broke into the warehouse where he stores freshly harvested rice. He developed a siege mentality.
“I’ve never heard of rice being stolen around here before,” said the 74-year-old farmer in Yamazoe, Nara Prefecture. “It must have been the work of those who sell rice online.”
Holes had been cut into the metal shutter of his storage facility to destroy the lock. The thieves made off with 1.2 tons of rice destined for sushi restaurants and bento box suppliers.
Okata discovered the theft on Sept. 12 and reported the matter to police. But no arrests have been made.
To prevent a recurrence, Okata installed a motion sensor and security cameras.
He also placed a ton of fertilizer bags in front of the industrial refrigerator containing his remaining rice.
Although he must remove the bags with a forklift every time he needs to access the refrigerator, Okata created the makeshift barrier to protect what’s left of his rice harvest.
Agricultural thefts have surged in recent years. More than 2,000 cases are reported nationwide every year, according to police data.
This year saw a notable increase in cases targeting rice, driven by a shortage and soaring prices of the grain.
In September, Kyoto prefectural police arrested a man in connection with the theft of 216 kilograms of green onions in Kumiyama. The suspect, a farmer himself, admitted to having raided a rival’s farmland to supplement his own harvest.
Eight incidents of green onion theft totaling 3.5 tons and valued at 2 million yen ($12,900) have been reported to police in the prefecture since June.
ENDLESS BATTLE
Thieves have also taken a shine to Shine Muscat grapes in Ota, Gunma Prefecture, in recent years.
At a farm operated by Yosuke Nakazato, about 100 bunches of the popular grape variety were stolen on two occasions in late August. The damage came to 150,000 yen.
The thieves broke into the greenhouse by tearing nets and bending the metal frame. Broken shoots do not produce fruit, which affects future harvests. Similar incidents have been reported at neighboring farms.
To prevent further thefts, Nakazato, 35, spent 300,000 yen on barbed wire and additional surveillance cameras.
Thieves continue to outsmart farmers in a seemingly never-ending game of cat and mouse.
EASY PICKINGS
The National Police Agency said there were 2,154 cases of agricultural theft nationwide in 2023. Saitama Prefecture reported the highest number with 151 cases, followed by Aichi Prefecture with 135 and Shizuoka Prefecture with 121.
Items most stolen are peaches, grapes, cabbages, Chinese cabbages, apples and cherries, according to a farm ministry survey in fiscal 2018.
Fruit, because it is generally smaller and commands high prices, is more likely to be targeted, the ministry said.
To enhance security, the ministry advises farmers to install fences, locks and security cameras. It also advises farms to display a sign with the farm’s name on their vehicles to make thieves’ cars more noticeable and conspicuous in the neighborhood.
(This article was written by Yikai Zhou, Shintaro Kiko, Daichi Itakura and Yoichiro Kodera.)
