Agriculture Ministry to Partner with Utech to Tackle Praedial Larceny

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is to partner with the University of Technology (UTech), to explore measures that can be implemented to effectively reduce the incidence of praedial larceny in the agricultural sector.

Speaking at the St. Andrew Rotary Club’s weekly luncheon, held at the Four Seasons Hotel, on May 14, Portfolio Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, said UTech has expressed an interest in working with the Ministry to tackle the perennial problem, which has devastated many farmers islandwide, resulting in losses totalling millions of dollars, consequent on the theft of produce and livestock by unscrupulous persons.

“They (UTech) have indicated that they are going to work with us to see how we can put some systems in place, such as cameras (or whatever other inputs), to really target some of those persons who have decided to reap where they have not sown,” the Minister informed.

Mr. Clarke advised that the Ministry will also be moving to place the end users of agricultural produce, such as supermarkets and restaurants, under greater scrutiny, with heightened focus on entities and persons suspected of purchasing items deemed stolen.

“How on earth can somebody (for example) steal 40 heads of cattle in one night and dispose of them so quickly? It must be sold somewhere. Praedial larceny is one of the greatest deterrents to agricultural production, so we want to deal with the traceability. We will come to your place (and request that you verify) where and how you obtained produce deemed or determined to be stolen,” the Minister said.

Accepting that there could be reservations from some stakeholders, Mr. Clarke argued that this approach is justifiable, based on the negative repercussions resulting from praedial larceny, while emphasizing that “we cannot make it go on like this.”

Contact: Douglas McIntosh