Agricultural wardens programme must be implemented this year – Green

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green has vowed to implement the proposed agricultural wardens programme this year.

Speaking during the first stakeholder engagement session of the ministry’s ‘New FACE of Food’ campaign in Old Harbour, St Catherine, on Wednesday, January 10, Green said the programme’s implementation will be part of intensified efforts to stamp out the scourge of praedial larceny which continues to be the sector’s biggest deterrent.

“This year, we want to put more boots on the ground. We have been speaking about it for a while [and] it has to happen in 2024, where we put into operation our agricultural wardens programme, where we will look at the areas that have tremendous challenges with praedial larceny and have people who have the powers of, let us say, a district constable in the area, specifically to treat with agricultural crime,” he stated.

Green said that discussions are already taking place with Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson, “and we do expect to get [the programme] on track in 2024”.

The minister maintained that the fight against praedial larceny must involve a “multi-ministry approach”, and identified the Ministry of National Security and the Police as critical partners in this regard, citing “positive moves” that have, so far, resulted from this partnership.

He said some of the ministry’s policies and legislative issues are being fixed to create a framework that makes it harder for persons to move stolen agricultural items.

These interventions include amending the Agricultural Produce Act.

Consequently, the maximum fine for breaches under the law will now move from $250,000 or three months in prison, to $3 million or three years imprisonment.

The amendments were passed in the Senate in December.

The ministry’s New FACE of Food campaign is geared towards driving food security, agribusiness development, climate change technologies, and export expansion.

Flagship programmes under the engagement will focus on several crops, including yam, breadfruit, sweet potato, ackee and mango, as well as small ruminants and aquaculture.

Since last year, the ministry has been embarking on islandwide stakeholder engagement sessions where farmers are sensitised on key components of the initiative.

In addition to St Catherine, stops have been made in St Thomas, Portland and St Mary.