The Government has boosted a fund to help dairy owners install costly security devices.
It will contribute most of the cost to put fog cannons in dairies and other small businesses that Police deem to be at high risk of robbery.
Police Minister Stuart Nash said dairy owners had told him security devices, such as audible alarms, fog cannons and DNA spray systems, were prohibitively expensive.
A fog cannon can cost about $4000, DNA spray can be more than $3000 and an audible alarm can be around $1700, the Minister said.
The previous National Government had offered to fund half of the cost of the devices, but just three dairies had taken up the offer in the five months it was active.
Mr Nash reallocated the $1.8 million fund, so that at-risk dairy owners would only have to contribute $250 towards getting a fog cannon installed, which he said was the most in-demand security device.
Fog cannons act as a deterrent for robbers by blocking their vision, while allowing for employees to retreat to a safe place.
So far, 17 dairy owners have installed the cannons and eight more are awaiting installation by a private sector security firm.
About 400 premises are expected to qualify as high risk of robbery, but only 30 installations can be completed by each month.
Newshub.
