ID badges to tell farmers from crop thieves

Date: Sun 31-Oct-1993
Paper Page: 2A
Publication: Sunday Sun

NEW I.D. badges for farmers will help consumers tell the thieves from the
growers.

Yesterday Agriculture Minister David Bowen told farmers I.D. cards should make
it harder for thieves to sell stolen produce.

"As long as there is a market for stolen produce we will not get on top of the
problem," the minister said.

The market exists, however, not for five or ten pounds of tomatoes but 1 000
pounds, he said.

Bowen spoke about crop theft before farmers at the annual general meeting of
the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) at Solidarity House.

He said the new Praedial Larceny Act was effective January 1992 but "it seems
to be taking an inordinately long time to bring the regulations on board."

President of the BAS, Keith Laurie, also spoke, saying the produce trade
sustained growth last year.