BADMC, private farms hit over festive season

Police and agricultural authorities are investigating one of the largest recorded cases of crop theft after thieves made off with some 13 tonnes of yams from state-managed and private farmland, prompting urgent calls for tighter enforcement against praedial larceny.

The theft, spanning the festive season and the start of the New Year, prompted a stern warning to both consumers and vendors from Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir, who cautioned that stolen produce of this scale would inevitably reach the market if the crime is not confronted and curtailed.

The losses include approximately 10 000 pounds of yams taken from land managed by the state-owned Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC), and a further 20 000 pounds removed from private farms in St Philip and St John. The financial impact runs into several thousand dollars and has raised serious concerns about farmer confidence at a time when government is encouraging increased domestic food production. Currently, yams are being retailed for as low as $5 per pound and as much as $7 per pound. Domestic yams are not in abundance.

Describing the situation as deeply troubling, Weir said the crimes extended beyond the fields and into public spaces, where stolen produce was openly bought and sold.

“I think it is regrettable that you have people out there waiting for farmers to plant crops and then decide that they’re harvesting them to make the money from it,” he said. “It is extremely criminal behaviour, but what is even worse about it is that these people are selling the same produce in the marketplaces and our consumers are buying them.”

The minister stressed that government action alone would be insufficient to stem praedial larceny, insisting that consumers must also play an active role in enforcement by demanding proof of purchase.

He said: “I have already stated in very clear language that if we are going to help farmers, it can’t be just government making the effort. The consumers also have to get involved and demand that the vendors show a legitimate receipt with the ministry’s stamp or the ministry’s logo to show that they’re purchased from a farmer, and if they’re purchased from a third party, that third party should also have the same proof of purchase.”

He warned that failure to enforce existing legislation effectively encourages thieves.

“If we continue to allow people to steal and just look to blame the government or authorities, and do not participate as well in demanding that an official receipt is shown because that’s what the law allows for, the thieves will feel as though they’re getting support,” he added.

The legal framework already provides clear measures against agricultural theft, the farm minister stressed. “People who are purchasing from a farm must get a legitimate receipt with the ministry’s information on it, and if you are a vendor, you must show where you purchased that produce from, otherwise it can be confiscated and penalties can be imposed.”

Weir reiterated the scale of the losses, warning that stolen yams would not simply disappear. “Yes, they stole 10 000 pounds from the BADMC farmland, and I am told that an additional 20 000 pounds were stolen from private farmland as well. That’s a lot of yams, and clearly it will reach the market,” he said, urging Barbadians to remain vigilant. “People driving around with a vehicle and selling from the back, show that you own it, show where you purchased it, or where you planted it.”

Calling on the public to take a firm stance, Weir urged consumers to refuse to buy produce without proper documentation and to alert law enforcement where necessary.

“If you can’t show a receipt, then nobody should purchase it or report it to the police,” he said, noting that many vendors are currently operating without proof of origin. “There are several people right now who are selling all types of things, all kinds of agricultural produce, and none of them have legitimate receipts to show where they got it from.”

The minister expressed deep disappointment at the impact of the thefts on farmers.

“This is hard work and investment from these farmers, and I am acutely aware of what we had to do at the BADMC to plant the large acres of yam that we planted,” he said. “But really, what disturbs me more than anything else is these people being able to sell that stolen produce.”

“This whole thing comes down to Barbadians wanting to see the end of praedial larceny, because the law is there. It comes down to enforcement. If people are going to tolerate people stealing crops and driving around in vehicles or standing up at a corner and selling it, and don’t help us to enforce the law by asking people to show how they’re obtaining that produce, then we’re never going to get rid of it.”

Peter Alleyne, head of the Barbados Agricultural Society’s crop division, said he had received a complaint from a veteran farmer who wished to remain anonymous. Alleyne warned that ongoing theft could force out producers and jeopardise national food security.

“The leading root crop farmer in Barbados is being attacked very fiercely through acts of larceny,” he said, appealing for urgent intervention by authorities. “I am appealing to the authorities, the Government and the police. I know the police are very busy, but at the same time we are calling for food security to be protected.”

He added that the farmer was making every effort to maintain operations, but that the losses were unsustainable. “Something needs to be done. The root crop farmer is trying to succeed and keep his business open, but if this continues, one day he will say that this is the end.”

Alleyne cautioned that farm closures would have wider social consequences. “That would mean more people will be on the breadline. The prime minister has said unemployment has gone down tremendously and should continue to fall, but if farmers start to close? Farmers are not happy about losing crops, losing animals and losing everything because of negligence by the authorities.”

Alleyne also questioned whether current policing arrangements are adequate to address praedial larceny in rural districts.

“We need to start doing something about this. Where is the protection that the police are supposed to be providing? I understand that one unit is covering districts such as St Philip and St John, with about five forested areas under that one unit. How can that work effectively? If officers leave St Philip and go to St John, those committing these acts can return to St Philip,” he said.

He emphasised the need for a long-term approach, warning that continued losses threatened food security targets under the government’s 25-by-30 initiative. Alleyne added that farmers were deeply unhappy with the start to the year.

Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society, James Paul, noted that the thefts were occurring against the backdrop of reduced yam output and growing pressure on farmers to expand production.

“Let us understand where we are. Last year, we did not do very well in the production of yams. In fact, the crop was not as large as it should have been,” he said.

While some farmers had increased acreage, their ability to protect those fields had not kept pace, despite employing security personnel, he said.

Continued losses would discourage planting and undermine efforts to expand domestic root crop production, with consequences for both health and the economy, Paul warned.

The thefts were calculated, he said, with perpetrators monitoring farm routines and exploiting security gaps, making it difficult for farmers to address the problem alone. Forcing farmers to absorb high security costs would increase production expenses, drive up food prices, and ultimately weaken national food security, he added.