The establishment of the Agricultural Protection Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is already yielding significant results in the fight against praedial larceny, with convictions for the crime surging in 2025.

According to figures shared by Agriculture Minister Floyd Green during a press briefing on Tuesday, convictions for praedial larceny jumped from just nine in 2024 to 209 in 2025, representing an increase of more than 2,000 per cent following the launch of the specialised police branch.

“One of the big wins for us in 2025 was the establishment of the Agricultural Protection Branch… It’s the first time that we have an entire branch of the force that is treating with agricultural crime, and we are already reaping the rewards from that,” Green said, noting that the branch now comprises 75 officers islandwide.

The minister said arrests for praedial larceny rose from 78 in 2023 to 139 in 2024 and jumped to 381 in 2025. Court activity has also increased, with cases before the courts rising from 201 in 2024 to 337 in 2025, a 68 per cent increase which he said shows improved case preparation and prosecution readiness.

Describing the figures as a “breakthrough in terms of judicial success and offender accountability”, Green said: “I think we are on the road to break the back of praedial larceny.”

The minister further noted that legislative reforms in 2025 strengthened the government’s response, with amendments to the Praedial Larceny Prevention Act coming into effect on July 15. The changes increased penalties and introduced victim impact statements, giving farmers a formal voice in court proceedings.

The amendments built on earlier reforms to the Agricultural Produce Act in 2023, which raised fines to $3 million, expanded the definition of agricultural produce and established a mandatory registration and licensing regime. That system is expected to be operationalised through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) this year, Green said.

Noting that traceability is critical and fundamental to further success with praedial larceny, the minister said efforts are underway to ramp up animal tagging services.

“We have put literally more boots on the ground to ensure that we can get more tagging done…because this is important in the fight against praedial larceny. We have to strengthen movement controls, and we have to continue to expand our central livestock database,” Green said.