SENATOR NORMAN Grant, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), said that strategies to wipe out praedial larceny are to be implemented by the end of April.
He said $5 million had been made available by the Ministry of Agriculture for the printing of $30,000 of the 100,000 receipt books to facilitate the process. At the same time, Senator Grant urged farmers to get registered so that the appropriate registration numbers could be affixed to the receipt books. He said the sooner the registration process was completed, the quicker the machinery to eradicate praedial thieves would be put into motion.
$4 BILLION LOSS EACH EACH
"The farmers of this country lose over $4 billion each year and the JAS has pledged to put a stop to those who seek to draw when they have not set and to reap when they have not sown. I, therefore, applaud the amendment to the Praedial Larceny Act that has now brought the fishermen and livestock under the Act and when persons steal any agricultural products, then you will be answering to the law," Senator Grant stated.
He was addressing the official media launch of the 16th staging of the Montpelier Agricultural and Industrial Show at the Sunset Beach Resort and Spa in Montego Bay recently. The show will be staged on March 28.
Senator Grant noted that the JAS was ready to fight praedial larceny and would be working with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), to support the farmers.
"I am confident that the farmers of Jamaica have a bright future and that the JAS is willing and has the capability to work with RADA, the government, all the other agencies, the farmers themselves and all the relevant stakeholders, to ensure their prosperity not only within the Jamaican context but also within the region and throughout the world," Senator Grant said.
