Last year in El Ejido, Almeria, there were around 500 thefts from rural land, but this could soon be drastically reduced after the launch of a private security company to protect the greenhouses.
The area is a maze of greenhouses and difficult to monitor, hence it is relatively easy picking for thieves. The thefts are not only the fruits and vegetables, which end up being sold in flea markets, but also farm equipment and machinery.
The area is a maze of greenhouses and small roads and tracks, making it difficult to monitor. However, a new private company is offering to monitor the greenhouses for the price of €220 per hectare per year.
The service is currently only available in the Poniente area, but as from April 1st it will be extended to cover the Berja and Santa María del Aguila.
Farmers may soon be able to sleep peacefully at night, confident that the fruits of their labour will still be there in the morning.
In 2010, there were 500 robberies from farms with a total of 50 people subsequently being detained.