Durrant Pate/Contributor

A recent survey revealed that Jamaica’s agricultural losses from praedial larceny have jumped to $14 million annually.

This latest survey carried out by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries & Mining follows a similar one conducted in 2013, which estimated losses then at $8 billion per annum. The increase in losses represents a jump of $6 billion annually over the decade. 

In making the disclosure in a statement to parliament yesterday, portfolio Minister, Floyd Green announced that the government is moving to double the size of the Praedial Larceny Unit at the Ministry and has already provided a new Toyota Hilux Motor vehicle to ensure increased mobility for the team. 

“This is not talk members; this is action—action to fight for our farmers across the length and breadth of Jamaica,” he told the House of Representatives, acknowledging that one of the major deterrents to the sector’s development has been praedial larceny or agricultural theft as most jurisdictions now term it.

Upping the fighting against praedial larceny

Highlighting that for decades farmers have been complaining that government needs to do more in the fight against praedial larceny, Minister Green countered that this administration last year made changes to the Agriculture Produce Act that brought in more severe penalties for praedial larceny-related crime. This government moved penalties from a maximum fine of $250,000 to $3,000,000 and jail time from six months maximum to three years maximum. 

“This is a government that is serious about tackling agricultural crime. However, we are aware that penalties will not be enough to tackle praedial larceny. We need structural change to our agri-food systems and to our policing of agricultural crime. It is why we have been working very closely with the Ministry of National Security and the Jamaica Constabulary Force to ensure that we increase our effectiveness to prevent Praedial Larceny and to find and capture those involved,” Green lamented.

He boasted that under this government seven praedial larceny prevention units were established across the 19 geographic police divisions, and together with his ministry, the efforts to reduce agricultural produce crimes continue apace. He said that such a move is the precursor for building out an Agricultural Protection Division as a part of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). 

The Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit is part of this build-out that reports to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Strategic Operations Portfolio, currently being manned by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Warren Clark.

Police activities in fighting praedial larceny

The JCF has undertaken the following for 2024, as at September 30:

• 79 arrests have been made compared to a total of 78 arrests made for 2023. 
• 137 cases are before the courts; 138 cases were before the courts in 2023. 
• Six convictions have been made; compared to 15 convictions made in 2023. 
• 149 farm watch programmes have been administered compared to 107 done in 2023. 
• 3,481 operations/raids have been conducted. 
• 2,279 sensitization sessions have been held; in comparison to 1763 done in 2023. 

The police praedial larceny focused patrols continue in 2024 with the number of focus patrols to date being 11, 488 compared with 12, 227 undertaken for 2023. In addition to crops and livestock, the praedial larceny prevention programme also places significant focus on the fisheries sector.

To date, 5719 fishing beach operations have been conducted with 4863 conducted in 2023.