KINGSTON, Jamaica — The House of Representatives’ Economy and Production Committee (EPC) wants government to move quickly to make praedial larceny unprofitable.

In a report tabled in the House on Tuesday, the committee, chaired by Opposition MP, Karl Samuda, said that its position is based on information from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) that there was “a clear nexus between praedial larceny and transnational crimes”.

According to the committee it was informed by the police that “livestock was being stolen, slaughtered and sent to other countries in exchange for guns”.

“In that regard, it was believed that the primary objective should be to render the crime unprofitable,” the EPC recommended.

The committee said that during its deliberations on the issue it learnt that, at times, the JCF is unable to effectively address the issues of praedial larceny, as it did not have vehicles to do the regular patrols and inspections.

The committee recommended that 60 trail bikes be acquired to assist the police in praedial larceny programme.

The committee’s review of the anti-praedial larceny activities was triggered by the reference of a motion from Opposition MP and spokesman on agriculture and fisheries, J C Hutchinson (North West St. Elizabeth), seeking to have the section 37 of the Agricultural Produce Act repealed, and the Praedial Larceny Prevention Act reviewed.

Permanent secretary in the ministry of agriculture and fisheries, Donovan Stanberry, told the committee that praedial larceny was “a major deterrent to moving agricultural production forward”.

Stanberry said that in 2008, praedial larceny cost the country some J$5 billion, and that the anguish felt by the victims could not be translated into figures.

The permanent secretary said that there is an anti-praedial larceny programme in effect, which had many facets, including registration of farmers, enforcement of existing legislation and the establishment of infrastructure to ensure traceability of agricultural producers.

The committee suggested that instead of the Governor General appointing inspectors under the Agricultural Produce Act to enforce the laws, District Constables should be trained and used instead and empowered to make arrests.

The committee also recommended that the burden of strict accountability should be transferred from the farmer and “efficaciously anchored within the realm of dealers, distributors, conveyors, warehouses and large users of agricultural produce”. But, that a fine of $100,000 be imposed on farmers who fail to issue invoices, receipts or delivery slips.

Balford Henry