THE Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit at the Ministry of Investment, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries has recovered a special species Nubian goat which was recently stolen from one of the ministry’s research stations.

It was not clear as to whether anyone was arrested in connection with the theft.

The goat, a pure-bred Nubian buck, is described as very valuable to the development of the local goat industry and is part of the ministry’s Diversification of the Caribbean Livestock through the Development of Small Ruminants Programme, which is financed by the United Kingdom-based Common Fund for Commodities.

It was stolen from the Hounslow Research Station in St Elizabeth in June 2015, and recovered on Thursday in the Dolphin Head Mountains in Hanover, by a team led by Deputy Supreintendent of Police Kevin Francis of the Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit with help from the Hanover police.

Officers from the ministry’s Research and Development team explained that the Nubian buck, which is very rare in Jamaica, was being used to provide semen to facilitate a breeding programme to increase production and improve the genetic pool of goats across the island.

The improvement programme is intended to expand the production of goat and sheep meat in Jamaica and so reduce importation of such meats into the island. Under the programme, some 159 animals have, to date, been distributed to institutions such as the College of Agriculture, Science and Education, Ebony Park Heart Academy, Knockalva and Dinthill Agricultural schools, for propagation of the species.

In his appeal to praedial thieves to desist from their illegal activities, DSP Francis pointed out that, even though the buck at face value was worth $100,000, the multiplier effect of its value as a “research and development animal” was almost immeasurable . He called on all Jamaicans to join in supporting the praedial larceny prevention programme.

The Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit was established at the agriculture ministry in March 2015 and to date, has resulted in a 14 per cent drop in the number of praedial larceny cases.