PRAEDIAL LARCENY A HUGE DETERRENT

THE Barbados Agricultural Society’s (BAS) Chief Executive Officer, James Paul says praedial larceny is one barrier which prevents more people from making greater investments in agriculture.
He also stated it has deterred individuals from opting to get involved in this field. “If it is one thing that I believe is preventing more people from going into agriculture and even more investment in agriculture, it is praedial larceny because no one is going to plant a crop and after waiting three or four months not be able to reap it. It is really a massive thing.”
Paul shared this view while speaking during the Department of Public Affairs’ programme, One On One aired last Sunday.
He stated the BAS has been “looking at some things within the sector” to assist farmers to combat praedial larceny. He additionally said they are looking
to rollout these measures among groups of farmers.
“I am hoping that from some of the initiatives that we are talking about where persons benefit from better technology, better equipment, and maybe pool together their resources in order to be able to get access to them, that we will be able to put the screws on praedial larceny, at least some of it. But it means greater collaboration among farmers and working with each other to identify when the crops are ready because you know this, thieves know better than the farmers when their crops are ready...”
During the interview, the BAS Chief Executive Officer voiced the view that harsher penalties should be given to individuals who steal farmers’ produce. He said, “it is not just that they steal but then they don’t get the type of penalties which I think that they deserve. I think if we have a penalty for it, I think he who does the crime must pay the time.” (MG)