KINGSTON, Jamaica — Farmers will soon find more allies in their battle against praedial larceny as the Government introduces stiffer penalties, recruits a cadre of farm-focused wardens and launches a specialised police unit to guard the island’s fields.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Minister Floyd Green, speaking at Hope Gardens on Wednesday, May 28, said the plan represents a “full-circle” assault on the long-standing problem of farm theft. “We’ve examined every angle—from legislation to boots on the ground—and we’re acting on all fronts,” he told journalists during a post-Budget briefing.
Tougher penalties that bite
Updating a decades-old legal framework tops the agenda. Maximum fines under the Agricultural Produce Act have already jumped from J$250,000 to J$3 million, with prison terms tripling from three months to three years. An impending Praedial Larceny Act will push some lesser fines from J$40,000 up to J$500,000 and even J$1 million, ensuring culprits “feel the weight of the law,” Green said.
Meet the Agricultural Wardens
To reinforce rural patrols, the Ministry is rolling out an Agricultural Wardens Programme—essentially a farm-focused constabulary. Two-hundred-forty-three candidates have been shortlisted, with the first 100 officers slated to deploy this year to theft-prone hotspots. “Think of them as agricultural police tasked solely with protecting farmers and their produce,” the minister explained.
A new branch of the JCF
The Jamaica Constabulary Force is also stepping up with an Agricultural Protection Branch, modelled on units like CISOCA. Equipped with a forthcoming drone division, the branch will concentrate exclusively on farm-related offences, tightening surveillance and response times.
Early signs of success
The multi-layered push is already yielding results. Between 2023 and 2024, praedial-larceny arrests climbed by 80 per cent, while vehicle seizures linked to the crime rose from eight to 28. Green credited the uptick to closer coordination between police and farmers—as well as a new policy that confiscates vehicles used in the theft of crops or livestock.
Data, drones and farmer watch groups
Green urged farmers to report every incident, no matter how small, noting that data drives deployment decisions. He also encouraged communities to form farmer-watch networks, pointing to a successful model in Trelawny that has drastically cut incidents.
“With stronger laws, a dedicated police arm, fresh wardens and engaged communities, we are finally turning the tide,” the minister declared. “Praedial larceny won’t disappear overnight, but we are making it riskier and costlier for thieves every day.”
