Minister of Agriculture Dr Shantal Munro-Knight has put consumers, vendors and thieves on notice with a series of new measures to combat crop and livestock theft, after witnessing firsthand the scale and sophistication of the crime during an overnight patrol with police and farmers.

The minister, who joined the Barbados Police Service’s fledgling crop patrol unit on visits to several farms, said the experience reinforced the need for decisive action, with changes expected at both the consumer and vendor levels as the government intensifies its response to a well-organised criminal enterprise.

“We will be addressing this issue of praedial larceny with everything that we have,” Munro-Knight declared.