The Government is intensifying measures to combat praedial larceny, with a special police task force to be put in place, says Prime Minister, Andrew Holness.
Mr. Holness made the disclosure while addressing the 69th Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, at the Denbigh Showground in Clarendon on Monday, August 7th, where he decried the scourge of farm theft.
“We must conquer praedial larceny,” he said.
“Oftentimes it is people that are close to you that can enter your yards without your dogs barking so it is not just a criminal undertaking, but a large part of praedial larceny also has a socio-cultural element involved,” said the Prime Minister, indicating that it is often a case of friends and neighbors stealing from farmers, not just professional criminals.
He informed that Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, has been tasked with coming up with a “viable solution” to the issue, noting that legislation is in place for the establishment of a special task force.
The Prime Minister said that work is also ongoing to facilitate the electronic tagging of animals and enable farmers to access the service at affordable rates.
As it relates to access to irrigation, Mr. Holness said the St. Elizabeth-based Pedro Plains irrigation scheme will shortly come on stream to “move us steadily towards our goal of irrigating our arable lands”.
Approximately $300 million has been budgeted for the irrigation scheme, which will see water being lifted from Black River to the Pedro Plains of southern St. Elizabeth.
Praedial larceny is the theft of agriculture produce and livestock. While such theft is almost universal, this term is primarily used in the Caribbean region where it is widely acknowledged to be a practice negatively impacting development of agriculture.
Source: Jamaica Government Information Service.
