Senator Norman Grant (right), president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, presents a copy of the Anti-Praedial Larceny Initiative to Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas (left), and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Reggie Grant at the commissioner's office recently. - CONTRIBUTED
THE WAY has been paved for the printing of some 100,000 receipt books with the awarding of a $22 million contract to Moore Business Forms Caribbean Ltd. by Cabinet to produce the books.
Cabinet gave the approval for the contract on Monday. "The JAS (Jamaica Agricultural Society) will now be able to instruct the printer to proceed with the printing of the books and now put us in a position to step up the fight against praedial larceny," Senator Norman Grant, the JAS' president said.
The problem of praedial larceny has been a serious problem for the agricultural sector which loses some $4 billion annually as a result. According to Senator Grant, praedial larceny is like a "cancer that continues...to be one of the greater deterrents to the growth and expansion of the agricultural sector."
DISTRIBUTION
The receipt books are to be distributed to farmers who have been registered with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA). Under the Praedial Larceny Act, which was approved by Parliament last year, farmers will be required to issue receipts for all produce sold so that the police can verify the origin of agricultural produce found in the possession of any person. This is in an effort to prevent the stealing of agricultural produce.
A MUST-WIN BATTLE
"It is a battle that we must win in the interest of expansion in this sector and by extension further growth and development in agriculture to capitalise on the tremendous opportunities that the increased investment in tourism, the implementation of the CSME (Caribbean Single Market and Economy), World Cup Cricket 2007 and (the) PetroCaribe (agreement) will present," Senator Grant emphasised.
He said there was great opportunity to increase the production of non-traditional and domestic crops to fill the growing demand locally rather than relying on imports.
In the meantime, farmers are being encouraged to support the effort by registering with RADA and the the JAS and purchase the receipt books as soon as they become available. Senator Grant said a schedule for the issuing of the books will be done as soon as the books are printed.
