Agricultural Produce (Amendment) Act Now in Effect

The Agricultural Produce (Amendment) Act, which will facilitate the imposition of harsher penalties for praedial larceny, has been gazetted and is now in effect.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during a press briefing at the Ministry’s offices in Kingston on Wednesday (January 31).

The maximum fine for breaches under the law has moved from $250,000 or three months in prison to $3 million or three years.

“We did have a good year in relation to some of the long-standing amendments that we have been wanting to bring. So, as you would know, we would have amended the Agricultural Produce Act, which touches and concerns praedial larceny in a big way,” Mr. Green said.

“Some of those fundamental amendments were needed to look at how we treat with the transportation of agricultural produce. We have already started the process of sensitisation… [and] clearly, we’re also going to have to have direct sensitisation sessions around our Agricultural Produce Act,” he added.

Regarding the Praedial Larceny (Prevention) Act, Mr. Green said the Ministry is awaiting feedback on the proposed amendments from the Attorney General.

“So, we do expect to take it to Cabinet in this quarter and then, hopefully, very early in our new legislative year we’ll be able to get those amendments passed,” Mr. Green said.

The Minister further informed that the Praedial Larceny (Prevention) Act significantly addresses the agricultural warden structure, adding that the Ministry is looking to bring this element to the fore this year.

Meanwhile, Mr. Green said much time was spent last year on training initiatives, especially with health inspectors.

“We have to look at the arrangements of our health inspectors, especially regarding traceability in relation to their roles in assessing abattoirs and places with meat. We do find that is one of the gaps in clamping down on praedial larceny in Jamaica, so we’re going to continue that work, b it’s also important that we’re going to spend a lot of time this year working on our market spaces,” he added.

“The most effective way to treat with praedial larceny is truly cutting off the markets, so that people who steal things from people do not have places in which they can peddle them. That is part of the reason why we made some of the amendments in the Agricultural Produce Act,” the Minister further stated.

Mr. Green indicated that significant stakeholder discussions are taking place in relation to embarking on a study examining the impact of praedial larceny on agriculture.

He noted that, anecdotally, praedial larceny has had a “tremendous impact” on the growth of the small-ruminant farming sector.

“When you go out into the field, a lot of our farmers tell you that they will expand or that they would get into goat farming, but because of praedial larceny issues… it is holding back some of the areas where we have good potential,” Mr. Green stated.

He noted that work is being undertaken with the farmers in conjunction with the Praedial Larceny Unit, headed by Superintendent Oral Pascoe, to sensitise them on what they can do to make themselves more difficult targets.

“A lot of our farmers, especially in the small-ruminant space, are taking heed. So, for example, moving from open grazing, where you tie out your animals, to establishing goat houses and putting in security systems around those houses,” Mr. Green said.