A farmer from Gorey in Co. Wexford has urged other farmers to register their farming equipment online after a cattle trailer was stolen from his farm earlier this month.

The owner told Agriland that his Tuff Mac (12X6) cattle trailer had gone missing from his farm between the hours of 5:00p.m on December 7 and 7:30a.m on December 8, 2025.

He explained that the trailer was being kept in the back of the farmyard, protected not only by two heavy padlocked gates, but also with a loader bucket placed in front of the gates to make it even more difficult for the trailer to be stolen.

Recalling the incident, the farmer said: "I came up the next morning around 7:30am; the locks were cut on the gates and the bucket has been pulled out the way."

Gardaí have confirmed that they are aware of the alleged theft and that an "investigation is ongoing."

Trailer theft

The owner of the trailer stated that it is in "pristine" condition as it was only being used roughly "eight to 10 times" a year due to the nature of the dairy farm, which is milking once a day and holds around 60 cows currently.

The serial number for the stolen trailer is SMKLS3521RD282115.

The farmer estimated the cost of the trailer to be worth around €8,000.

He also noted that this theft is not an isolated incident, as an Ifor Williams 510 horse trailer was also stolen from his farm in Gorey last year, although it was later recovered by gardaí in Mallow, Co. Cork.

Precautions

Following the latest theft, the farmer is spreading awareness about the measures others can take to make their farming equipment harder to sell on, if stolen.

He stressed the importance of registering machinery and equipment on the Equipment Register (TER) website, which is Europe’s largest database of plant and equipment.

Farmers are allowed to register five items for free when creating an account on TER's website, and, in the event of a theft, these registered items can be flagged as stolen.

If thieves try to sell on any stolen registered equipment, buyers, dealers and auction houses, as well as the police and insurance companies, can check the TER database to find out if it has been flagged, increasing the likelihood that it can be reunited with its true owner.

"It's a bit of due diligence; in 10 to 20 minutes, you will figure out how to register and if you don't know how to do it, just ask any of your kids, grandchildren, or someone who is more tech-savvy," the farmer recommended.

Abandoned trailer

Separately, a farmer has appealed to find the owner of a suspected stolen trailer that has been abandoned near his farm in Mallow, Co. Cork.

According to the farmer, the trailer has been abandoned there for approximately three months.

He added that gardaí are aware of the trailer "but it seems nothing has been done about it" so far.