Praedial larceny and the scourge of monkeys are some of the systemic issues plaguing agriculture and a multi-pronged approach will be required to safeguard farmers’ livelihoods and get more people into production.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security Dr Shantal Munro-Knight said a number of long and short-term plans were being utilised, including public sensitisation campaigns, tracing of crops, and extended coverage of praedial larceny patrols.
During the launch of the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC) Agricultural Statistics Platform at the Ministry’s Conference Room, Graeme Hall, Christ Church, yesterday, she said addressing praedial larceny was a challenge.
Organised
“I’ve visited a number of farms since I’ve come in to the ministry. I remember going on pretty large farms with cameras and invested in heavy security and still they confront praedial larceny in a major way, because it’s organised,” she noted.
“This is not just people that we think are just running about and saying ‘Let me go into somebody’s ground’; this is organised. People come with vans and its whole groupings of people,” she said.
Calling crop theft a societal challenge that must be confronted on several fronts, Munro-Knight said it would persist as long as there was a market for stolen goods.
While efforts have been made to crack down on the market of stolen goods via the presentation of permits and the issuing of receipts for commercial quantities of agricultural produce, the minister proposed a transition to digital receipts for easier tracking.
“I want to make sure that we have vendors who are going to the market, not just with a permit, but you’ve got to be able to tell me you’re coming in my market to sell and where your produce is coming from. So I want to close that loop as well, even in our markets, so that this ministry is right-size when it comes to that.
“We’re talking about how we make all of the receipts electronic and more accessible for the police to be able to use them. People have to show them on the phone, whatever it is. So we’re looking at that suite of solutions for those issues,” she added.
Plans are under way for a public education campaign to shed light on the impact that theft has on farmers, especially smaller operations.
Patrols
Praedial larceny patrols, held in collaboration with the BADMC and the Barbados Police Service, have already yielded positive results, and talks are ongoing regarding its expansion to other districts, Munro-Knight said.
Additionally, a meeting with stakeholders will be held in the second week of June and will call for reflection on action plans for the prevailing issues as well as how technology can be incorporated into security measures and cost effective options for farmers.
Concerning the impact of monkeys on livestock, Munro-Knight said her ministry was looking to collaborate with the Ministry of Environment, National Beautification and Fisheries on additional solutions to the problem.
An increase in the bounty on monkeys from $15 a tail to $25 was introduced in 2024, however Munro-Knight indicated that other efforts were needed to face the challenge.
“We would have increased the bounty as well on those that are involved in the culling of the monkeys, but we also as well are a humane society, and I don’t know if those efforts at scale are going to be able to tackle the pervasiveness of what we have now with that particular challenge,” she said. (JRN)
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