The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is ramping up efforts to combat praedial larceny by expanding its animal identification and traceability programme across Jamaica.
Agriculture Minister Floyd Green announced the new measures during the 128th Annual General Meeting of the Jamaica Agricultural Society at the Denbigh Show Grounds in Clarendon on Wednesday.
Green said the National Animal Identification and Traceability System has been in place for the past decade, with cattle being tagged to help authorities identify legitimate livestock owners and deter theft.
He noted that demand for animal tagging has increased significantly since the Jamaica Constabulary Force began enforcing regulations against transporting untagged animals.
“Since January we have tagged over 19,000 heads of cattle. There is still a need in Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth where many farmers want to have their cows tagged,” Green said.
To meet the growing demand, the Ministry will recruit six additional animal technicians to strengthen the Veterinary Services Division’s tagging operations.
Green also revealed that an order for 130,000 additional ear tags is expected to arrive during the first week of August. The shipment is in addition to 20,000 tags received two weeks ago.
The Ministry will further bolster the programme by hiring 100 community assistants to work alongside veterinary personnel. Their role will be to help farmers restrain animals during the tagging process, allowing more livestock to be processed efficiently.
Meanwhile, Green announced that a temporary system will be introduced during July and August to assist legitimate farmers who have experienced delays in getting their animals tagged but need to transport them for slaughter.
He said the Agriculture Protection Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force is working with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) to finalize the protocols for the arrangement. Farmers using the system will be required to notify the police and carry proof of ownership, including receipts.
State Minister in the Ministry, Franklyn Witter, described praedial larceny as a major threat to Jamaica’s agricultural sector and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to tackling the crime.
He commended the Agriculture Protection Branch for its targeted operations, saying enhanced legislation, stronger enforcement and closer collaboration with farming communities have contributed to a decline in agricultural crimes.
Witter also encouraged farmers to continue working closely with the police to further reduce incidents of praedial larceny across the island.
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