Barbados’ $981 million food bill must be reduced through increased local agricultural production, says Minister of Agriculture Dr David Estwick.
As well, he believes, predial larceny must be addressed in tandem.
Estwick told the Sunday Sun much attention would be paid to “traceability” in proposed new predial larceny legislation, expected to be in the hands of the governance committee within the next two weeks.
Predial larceny has long been plaguing farmers across the island, with some in frustration threatening to discontinue planting. The crop theft for many has also meant serious financial loss.
“You are not going to have predial larceny brought under any managed control if you cannot trace an item that is produced at Farm X, to what is its final consumption point. In every single phase of the transfer, there must be a certificate of transfer,” Estwick said in the hope this paper trail would assist in identifying the thieves.
He stressed: “If you are caught without a certificate, the penalties are not now slight in the new legislation.”
Estwick said the traceability was also going to be a “critical component” in protecting the society, as it related to food safety, a factor which he pointed out became even more important on “the sanitary and phytosanitary basis”.
“You should be able to determine whether an item produced by Farm X is reasonable quality that you should be eating, or whether it has been sprayed last month.
“The other element that is going to be important in terms of the traceability and certification of farmers and registration of farmers would be how the police would now deal with those offenders.” The minister disclosed he had already held a number of consultations with the Commissioner of Police and other department heads on the matter.