By Sue-Ann Wayow
CRIMINALS, don’t go stealing other people’s crops and livestock.
Raise your own livestock and plant your own crops, Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Kazim Hosein tells those who steal from the hard work of farmers.
Responding to questions on an increase in large-scale looting of farmers’ crops and livestock in the Senate on Wednesday, the Minster said he has been working feverishly to strengthen the Praedial Larceny Unit to protect farmers.
Opposition Senator Wade Mark asked if an audit was conducted on farmers losses. Hosein said he did not have that information on hand.
However he said, “I would like to appeal to the public, when you want to do these looting with animals and crops and so on, plant your own crops and mind your own animals. Right now people taking months and years to mind an animals and sell it and take some time to plant these crops and you just coming and looting it.”
He said the ministry’s staff was working assiduously to address the Unit’s issues and assured the public “I am on top of it.”
Hosein also revealed that the ministry was seeking to engage more officers in the medium term and continue to engage in discussions with the Ministry of Public Administration with the intent to hire 40 additional officers, in the first instance, to complement the current Praedial Larceny Squad (PLS).
Based on availability of funding, the ministry will have further considerations to employ more.
Currently the unit has 33 officers in operation, Hosein said.
He said the PLS was also communicating with farmer groups to be aware of which areas were affected.
The ministry was also in the process of procuring three new fully equipped vehicles to improve officers’ ability to conduct patrols by next month.
Hosein said, “Due to heightened illegal activity impacting our farmers, the Praedial Larceny Squad has been utilizing its connections with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service (TTMPS) and the Estate Management and Business Development Company Limited (EMBD) Police to respond and assist.”
