The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries is condemning praedial larceny, which he describes as the greatest handicap to growth in the agricultural sector.
His cries come on the heels of an increase in reports of cattle theft in the Kensington, Alexandria area of Clarendon.
The Minister says this crime is a deterrence to potential farmers and hinders development.
To mitigate this scourge, Minister Charles Jnr says the ministry is armed with the National Identification and Traceability System, launched in 2015, which requires all cattle to be identified with air tags and corresponding passports.
As the government continues to use technology and innovation to assist in advancing the prevention of praedial larceny, he says the matter is also a public health issue.
The Minister is urging farmers to have their cattle tagged, as the facility is being provided to Jamaicans free of cost.
More details here:
Reporter: Nasika Alliman
