“Find another occupation,” Charles warns farm thieves

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Pearnel Charles Jr, has warned farm thieves to “find another occupation”.

According to Charles praedial larceny is one of its most difficult challenges but the authorities are moving to arrest the problem.

"We are going to target you, find you, root you out and make sure you do not deter any of these youngsters who want to be farmer.”

Charles was speaking at the Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit’s essay and jingle competition awards ceremony held virtually on Friday.

The competition, which started in 2016, aims to engender greater awareness of the impact of praedial larceny on rural communities, public health, and the Jamaican economy.

He said farm theft hampers the growth and expansion of local production and productivity in the sector and removes the possibility of farmers reaping the benefits of value-added production.

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