THE Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) says it will be recommending to Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas, the introduction of special hotlines for reporting suspicious movement of farm produce around the island.

“We will be recommending the establishment of a special hotline in every parish for the reporting of any suspicious movements relating to the stealing of agricultural produce,” said JAS president, Senator Norman Grant.

Grant was speaking to farmers at an anti-praedial larceny workshop recently hosted by the society at its head office on Church Street in Kingston.

He said the JAS would also be proposing the use of new technology, such as the BlackBerry,

to allow members of the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) to obtain information from the agricultural information system to verify the authenticity of farmers in a fast and effective manner.

Grant said a series of road shows started by the JAS in January will continue to the end of March to:

. increase distribution of the receipt books to be used by registered farmers;

. increase the registration of the farmers in collaboration with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA);

. allow the ISCF to build closer relationships with the farmers; and

. answer queries about the receipt books.

Thomas Burton, RADA’s deputy executive director told the gathering that the authority was spearheading the drive to have farmers registered and start using the receipt books.

“Your livelihood could be seriously affected if you do not register, because you will not have the receipt book to prove your legitimacy,” Burton warned the farmers.

He said that approximately 90,000 farmers had already been verified under the programme, but there were still thousands more who had failed to comply.

He said that RADA’s 13 parish offices would be engaged in providing whatever support and assistance the farmers need.