For the second time in a year, San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputies have foiled an attempt to steal supplies from a Scotts Miracle-Gro manufacturing plant in Linden.
Soaring prices for fertilizer could have made the haul worth a lot more had law enforcement not intervened.
The suspected thief was seen tossing 43 bags of potting mix over a fence into a pickup truck on Monday night, authorities said. The suspect was tracked by a sheriff’s drone that spied the pickup as it wheeled through a nearby orchard.
The driver, whose name was not disclosed, was cited for petty theft and evading deputies. Sheriff’s deputies also had the man return to the manufacturing plant to unload and restack the pilfered load.
The value of the potting mix — a combination of soil and fertilizer — was not disclosed, but prices of fertilizer have increased dramatically since the last attempted theft at the plant in August, when 100 bags were taken. Just like in Monday’s incident, the Sheriff’s Office was alerted by an alarm company that monitors the plant, and the suspect was cited.
The estimated value of that summertime haul was $1,848, deputies said at the time. But fertilizer prices have skyrocketed in the wake of Iran war and the subsequent shipping disruptions amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Price increases have varied based on type. The Farm Journal reported that prices for urea-based fertilizer have doubled since early December, while potash is up 10%.