APB locks up over 400 for farm crime in debut year, Green reports

Arrests tied to farm crime have jumped more than threefold in the twelve months since the Jamaica Constabulary Force stood up its Agricultural Protection Branch, Agriculture Minister Floyd Green reported while unveiling the Heifer Redistribution programme at Serge Island Dairies in St Thomas.

The specialised formation began work in June 2025 to curb praedial larceny and safeguard growers’ livelihoods and the country’s food security.

“A year before, we arrested about 120 people around agricultural crime. One year since we’ve had the Agricultural Protection Branch, that number has moved to over 400 people arrested for agricultural crime,” Green said.

He stressed that court outcomes have climbed as well. “Arrests sound good, but convictions sound better, and the biggest thing that we’ve seen… we have dedicated investigators who are preparing these cases to go to court. The year before the Agriculture Protection Branch, we had 18 convictions around agricultural-related crime. Last year, since the operation of the branch – 120 convictions,” he informed.

Green praised the force for creating a team focused solely on offences against agriculture, adding that producers in places such as Trelawny have told authorities theft of crops and livestock has eased. He said sentences for those offences have grown much tougher and that his ministry is still partnering with the JCF to get the agricultural wardens programme running.

“So, in the areas where we have significant issues, we will have more people to treat with these agricultural crimes,” the minister said.

Superintendent Oral Foster renewed the branch’s pledge to look after farmers islandwide. “We believe that every single farmer deserves the same level of protection as any other sector in Jamaica,” Foster said.