A new survey of crime affecting Irish farms has found more than half of farmers were victims of theft.
Some 71% reported thefts to gardaí, but 29% did not.
Stolen items were only recovered in 11% of thefts.
The research was carried out by TU Dublin criminologists in conjunction with the Irish Farmers' Association between July and November last year, and the views of 1,333 farmers, who voluntarily completed Irish Farm Crime Survey, were included.
Results show that 55% of respondents have been victims of theft, with tools and farm equipment, machinery and fuel being the most commonly stolen items.
Eleven respondents had firearms stolen.
While 71% said they reported thefts to An Garda Síochána, 29% said they did not.
Reasons given for not reporting were a belief that gardaí would do nothing, there was not enough evidence for gardaí to act, or thefts were not serious.
The vast majority of respondents said there is a need for tougher laws and the courts are too lenient on people stealing from farms.
Some 42% said there should be a dedicated garda unit to deal with farm and rural crime.
The report's authors say consideration should be given to assist farmers with the cost of crime prevention measures, as the study found only one third of farmers had alarm systems on their houses and 5% have alarms on outbuildings. A minority had CCTV on outbuildings.
They say the research allows for a better understanding of crime affecting farmers.
"While there has been much attention to issues of rural crime in recent years, we have very little systematic data," say Dr Matt Bowden.
"This research highlights the Irish farming community's experience of crime and victimisation, and their perceptions of crime prevention, and helps us to better understand crimes committed against Irish farms and the measures farmers take to prevent their victimisation.
"We hope that this is the start of a more solid knowledge base on issues related to rural crime and crime prevention in Ireland, giving a voice to the farmers experience of crime."
The report's co-author, Dr Nicola Hughes, said: "Many victims of crime do not report it.
"If the true extent of crime and victimisation against the farming community is to be understood, then all victims should be encouraged to report the incident to An Garda Síochána."
IFA Deputy President Brian Rushe said gardaí need to hear about incidents on farms.
"The underreporting of crime to An Garda Síochána is concerning," he said.
"Anyone affected by crime should report it for the scale of the issue to be captured, and adequate policing resources be assigned."
In a statement, gardaí say anyone who has been a victim of crime should report to their local garda station.
It said gardaí encourage people to take precautions regarding their property and to make it difficult for criminals to access or remove property.
The statement added: "Moreover, if farmers are offered cheap farming equipment for sale, if it looks too good to be true, it generally is, and property could be the proceeds of criminal activity in another location."
