Barbados is turning to digital tools such as drones and data mapping as the Ministry of Agriculture and police step up efforts to fight crop theft, while new technology is also being explored to tackle the island’s monkey problem.
Minister of Agriculture Dr Shantal Munro-Knight told Barbados TODAY that recent action against praedial larceny was paying off, with several people already brought before the courts.
Earlier this year, the Barbados Police Service stepped up nightly patrols aimed at preventing crop theft and catching those involved in praedial larceny.
“I really want to thank the police service for working with us on this, and I hope that the public would have noticed that we’ve had a couple of people brought before the courts for praedial larceny,” she said.
The minister added that authorities planned to intensify their efforts over the next two weeks, with a further set of initiatives expected to emerge from recent discussions.
One measure being considered is the use of drones to monitor activity and identify problem areas.
“We’re looking at using drones as well as drone technology to document…[and] look at some hotspots,” Munro-Knight said, while declining to disclose details for security reasons.
She said authorities were also seeking greater cooperation from farmers to identify areas where theft was concentrated.
A new portal now allows the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC), police and other stakeholders to see when crops in key areas are due to be harvested.
Munro-Knight said this would allow police to identify crops that were nearly ready for harvest and assess whether they corresponded with areas where theft had previously been concentrated.
However, she stressed that tackling praedial larceny would require more than enforcement.
“I really want to emphasise this issue of praedial larceny… yes, we can do as much as we can in the end in terms of the farmers and working with the police to bring people to court, but it’s really the public who buys,” she said.
“If we can reduce that market for that, then that is something that will be extremely helpful.”
The ministry is also reviewing its own markets and supply chains, with Munro-Knight promising an initiative aimed at ensuring illegally acquired produce does not enter the system.
“We have to make sure at the ministry that nothing slips through our own pipeline, in terms of products that are not [acquired] legally,” she said. “So we are looking at making sure that we are tightening our own internal screws.”
Meanwhile, Munro-Knight said the ministry was exploring new technology to help farmers deal with another persistent problem: monkeys destroying crops.
She said officials were looking at sound-wave technology and geo-fencing, as well as possible changes to the ministry’s rebate system to help farmers meet the cost of protective fencing.
The ministry is also considering using drones to map areas where monkey activity is highest.
“Our Chief Agricultural Officer would have gone out actually with some of the monkey hunters as well to look at their operations and again working with the police service to make sure that we streamline,” Munro-Knight said.
(SB)
