Farmers under siege as sophisticated theft rings target crops and livestock

Criminal gangs are targeting farmers in a wave of organised praedial larceny, with thefts now operating on an industrial scale, an agricultural leader has warned.

 

Unless the public and authorities recognise the threat and respond forcefully, the nation’s food security may be put at risk, said Chairman of the Barbados Sugar Industries Ltd Mark Sealy.

 

He declared that crop and livestock stealing has gone beyond simple crop theft and is now entering the category of organised crime.

 

Addressing farmers, policymakers and law enforcement officials during Thursday’s Praedial Larceny Farmers’ Forum at Kensington Oval, the veteran farmer said the nature of agricultural theft across the island has evolved into a well-organised and profitable criminal operation.

 

“The police talk about changing the narrative and whilst everybody in the meeting here today talks about theft and somebody being on their ground, we really have gone beyond that now,” Sealy said.

 

Calling for greater public awareness, Sealy argued that many still view praedial larceny as a minor issue or isolated nuisance when in reality it has become far more sophisticated and systematic.

 

“We have to tell the public, really, what level of theft there is now. And the majority of the level of theft now in Barbados, on farmers, is that it’s organised crime,” he said.

 

“We’re talking about vans and trucks coming to collect the produce, people in the fields, lookouts, etc.”

 

He said these are not crimes of opportunity but premeditated raids backed by logistics and leadership, hinting at larger players coordinating the theft and resale of stolen goods.

 

“Clearly, there are bigger people behind this, and this is a huge industry for them now. They’re making a lot of money out of this organised crime,” Sealy said.

 

“The farmers in Barbados now are really under attack from organised crime, and we really have to do something about it.”

 

Sealy said unless the public recognises praedial larceny as a major criminal enterprise and supports enforcement efforts, the country will face serious long-term consequences.

 

“If we do not do something about this now, you will see farmers start to drop out and food security be affected,” he said.

 

He welcomed the passage of the Protection of Agricultural Products Act which gives police more powers to investigate and prosecute, but stressed that it would mean little without proper enforcement.

 

Acting Superintendent Anthony Warner of the Barbados Police Service, whose earlier presentation focused on enforcement of the law, noted the need for accountability across the supply chain, with sellers now being asked to issue receipts and buyers required to show proof of ownership or face prosecution.

 

“The narrative is being changed now that what went before cannot now be obtained,” Warner said, noting that more responsibility is being placed on the handlers.

 

The police superintendent also moved swiftly to address several farmers who asked whether they could use their licensed firearms to defend themselves and their property from thieves.

 

Issuing a clear warning, he said, “Do not shoot them or else you’ll be in trouble with the law.”

 

“To those people who want to exact their own justice, my caution to you is not to commit crime to prevent crime. Don’t take the law into your own hands.”

shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb