Senator the Honourable Ravi Ratiram, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, today delivered a powerful contribution in the Senate during debate on the Victims’ Rights Bill, 2026, emphasizing that victims of crime must no longer be treated as invisible participants within the justice system, particularly the nation’s farmers who suffer from the devastating effects of praedial larceny.

In his contribution, the Minister underscored that praedial larceny is not merely the theft of crops and livestock, but a direct assault on livelihoods, food security, rural stability, and human dignity. He highlighted the severe emotional, psychological, and economic trauma experienced by farmers across Trinidad and Tobago, many of whom have repeatedly endured theft, violence, intimidation, and institutional neglect.

The Minister stated that too many farmers have lost confidence in the system after reporting crimes and receiving little to no meaningful follow-up. He noted that as Minister, he has already taken concrete steps to strengthen the operational capacity of the Praedial Larceny Squad, including increasing operational vehicles from one to nine and improving responsiveness to agricultural crimes.