Shaw wants improved enforcement of agricultural produce receipt book system

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley, says that the law under which the Agricultural Produce Receipt Book System was established by the Government to combat praedial larceny, needs to be enforced.
The minister’s call comes against the background of the number of complaints received from farmers of the frequent raiding of their farms by thieves and the inadequate enforcement of the law by the police force.
“This is a time that is going to require of us courage, collective action and working in unity. When the criminals find that we are seriously working together, this problem is going to become a diminishing one. We have to be serious about our laws. The police must demand receipts,” the Minister said.
Minister Shaw who was speaking at the Coconut Industry Board’s Annual General Meeting on May 4, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, said that if there is no concerted and combined action, the problem of praedial larceny is not going to subside, but will only get worse.
“One of the things that we have to make up our minds to do in this country is to bring back law and order and decency into our society,” Minister Shaw added.
Meanwhile, Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang said that his Ministry is quite aware of the challenges being faced by farmers across the country and which are having an impact on agriculture. He assured the farmers that efforts are being made by the security forces to combat this.

He noted further that some of the laws pertaining to praedial larceny will have to be suitably amended, and that penalties must bear some relationship to the severity of the crime.
“The laws on the books are dated and primitive and the time has come for them to be revisited and amended accordingly,” Minister Chang added.
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