Praedial larceny is not an issue only for the Police and the Ministry of Agriculture, but one which affects the entire nation.
That’s according to Deputy Senior Superintendent of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Kevin Francis as he gave remarks at a seminar on Friday at the NIS Conference Room, geared towards alleviating the issue of praedial larceny here.
Using a fictional story where agricultural theft by a mouse leads to the deaths of a farmer and her livestock, Francis encouraged the participants to consider the issue as one of critical importance to food security and survival.
This country’s Chief Agricultural Officer, Ashley Cain said despite excellent legislation to deal with the issue, there has been no meaningful impact thanks to a social dynamic, which he calls a Trade Union of Vagabondry, adding that if more persons gave their knowledge on the theft of produce, the issue could be addressed.
Also giving remarks was the Technical Specialist of the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Michael Dalton, who stated that the seminar is a timely one, as the sector faces such a multitude of issues which affects the food security of the nation and the region by extension.
