Witter: Praedial Larceny Act to be beefed up soon
Published:Friday | October 20, 2023 | 12:06 AMChristopher Serju/Senior Gleaner Writer
Junior Agriculture Minister Franklin Witter has served notice that the Praedial Larceny Act will be strengthened in short order to intensify efforts to eliminate the theft of farm produce and livestock.
“Our county is losing over $8 billion in terms of economic activity in agriculture because of praedial larceny. That's the cost that we are paying today for the impact of praedial larceny and therefore we cannot allow that to continue,” Witter noted at a recent sensitisation session for public health inspectors in Kingston.
“We are in a situation where Jamaica has to import 80 per cent of the goat meat that we consume and I can tell you, the reason for this is as a result of praedial larceny,” he continued.
Witter said that the amendments to the Praedial Larceny Act would soon go before Parliament to be debated and passed “to ensure that we can create that deterrence to make sure that our farmers will be able to reap what they sow and what they produce.
“We are looking forward to making sure that police are given the teeth to make sure that when they go out there to perform their duties and to catch these thieves, they will be able to have the act that they can use to make sure that the law has its impact.”
CALL FOR PARTNERSHIP
Consultant veterinarian Dr Kevin Walker recounted a case where the Veterinary Services Division in the agriculture ministry, working in tandem with the police, tracked a cattle-stealing ring in which animals were stolen in St Thomas and transported to Waterhouse, St Andrew.
“They had a slaughtering establishment and did have a public health stamp there and were processing meat and selling it. So please let us partner and work together. You all monitor these facilities, you have good relationships with the butchers and the owners of the slaughter facilities; just tell them there is a drive coming to push the law that is on the books, so ensure that cattle that come in are tagged and come with their passports,” Walker appealed to the public health inspectors.
“Once people know that there is some vigilance, they will desist from buying animals that are stolen or not tagged because people don't want to get locked up,” he added.