A WELCHMAN HALL, St Thomas farmer is counting his losses today after thieves made off with about $700 worth of his carrot crop.
James Hamblin surmised the thieves must have been watching his moves because they waited until he had reaped 40 pounds on Wednesday before cleaning out the remaining 200 pounds from his fields at Bryan Road, Welchman Hall, later that night.
He said he discovered the praedial larceny on Thursday morning.
“I was spraying the bonavist and pea trees and when I made a check, I saw all my carrots picked,” he said.
“It had to be more than one person, because they pull up the carrots, cut off the top, bag them and left the tops as they wanted me to see them. They had real time and man, it hurt me,” he said.
Hamblin, whose two and a half acres holds everything from pear trees to christophenes, said it was not the first time he has suffered at the hands of thieves.
Ten years ago, a praedial larcenist made off with 500 heads of cabbage, while five years ago someone stole his sheep.
However, the acts will not deter the man whose passion is farming.
“I am a planter and I will continue planting. I will not let that deter me but I feel bad. I feel hurt,” he said. (HLE)
