The Government on Tuesday began a drive to recruit 300 agricultural wardens over a three-year period in order to provide “more boots on the ground” to tackle the scourge of praedial larceny which costs the sector $14 billion per annum.

In a statement to Parliament, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green advised that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) had commenced the recruitment for the first cohort of 100 wardens on Tuesday morning at Godfrey Stewart High School in Westmoreland.

He said the agricultural wardens, for whom training will start in January 2025, are to be deployed in praedial larceny hot spots across the island. They will become a dedicated “formation within the police force that focuses on agricultural crime”.

According to Green, the first 100 agricultural wardens, once recruited, will participate in an extensive training programme in three modules: enforcement, comprising fundamentals of police duties and procedures, firearm training, defensive tactics and drills, community-based policing, evidence recording, court preparation and target hardening; agriculture — livestock classification, agricultural practices and the ministry’s traceability systems; as well as legal — case preparation, and mock trial exercises.

Additionally, they will undergo motorcycle/motor vehicle driving certification.

Green noted that this $1.8-billion initiative, dubbed the Agricultural Wardens Programme, for which provisions have already been made in the Praedial Larceny (Prevention) Act, is projected to result in increased enforcement actions against perpetrators, improving detection, prosecution, and deterrent rates, enhanced surveillance, patrols, and community awareness and reducing economic losses sustained by farmers because of praedial larceny.

“This will further result in increased agricultural productivity and profitability in the sector, ensuring food security and economic stability,” he said, noting that $390 million will be expended under the programme in the first year.

He said that upon the final approval of the Cabinet for the implementation of the programme, the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service will be requested to make the necessary funding available, with expenditure being accommodated through the JCF budget.

“To ensure the success of this initiative, a joint high-level committee of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, the JCF and the Ministry of National Security will monitor and manage the implementation of the programme,” Green said, adding that it is an important step towards safeguarding the agricultural sector, especially as the Government continues to encourage greater investments in agriculture to boost expansion and exports and to support the country’s commitment to food security and rural development.

Green further advised that the next recruitment drive is scheduled for the Area Four Headquarters – Harman Barracks Complex on November 9, 2024 at 8:00 am. Additionally, he said a number of other recruitment drives are being planned islandwide, and all qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

“The minimum requirement for recruitment is age 18 to 35 years and three Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects including City & Guilds Stage 3, Level 3 Math and/or English. Please visit the JCF’s website at www.recruiting@jcf.gov.jm to complete the applications for recruitment, or for more information you may contact the JCF’s recruiting office at 876-754-0600,” he said.

In response to a suggestion from Opposition Member of Parliament Lothan Cousins that farmers be given access to the same basic training as agricultural wardens, especially firearm training, Green said that through watch groups farmers are not only advised about watching their property, “but also how can they make the approaches, the necessary applications so those who want to arm themselves can arm themselves”.

“We do have a Firearms Policy… and a number of our farmers have gone the route of applying for their firearms and are legal firearm holders and what we do provide is some advice for them in that regard in the farmers’ watch groups. I think through that, those farmers who want to do that level of self-protection, we are willing to see how we can assist them in that regard,” he said.