I am a Barbadian just like you. I came from Bowmanston St John, and I knows the area well as I attended Mount Tabor Boy’s School. I am sorry that the thieves have caused you and your family such hardship. take care PS: i now live in the UK (Reading Berkshire) since 1964. God Bless.

Until predial larceny is looked upon the crime that it is and not an entitlement for the perceived wrongs of the past,Barbadians will continue to be driven out of agricultural effort to the detriment and increased cost to all and sundry.

Sad, Sad, Sad. Do these crooks ever stop to think that they are hurting people or that what goes around comes around.  Government and all other relevant agencies needs to step in NOW and do something. We can’t have our Farmers going out of business. This spells economic ruin for this small country.

I empathise with this family and others in similar situations and hope relief will come soon so they can continue their livelihood.

Someone please help our Farmers.

Here is a family trying to make an honest living and providing for our country and they have no protection whatsoever, in spite of their efforts.  It is time that farmers should be allowed to protect themselves with electrical fences.  Shock the living daylights out of them, so that they are stunned and can’t move.  Surely there is a security firm out there that could suggest other alternative measures to protecting such major and critical investments to this country and at reasonable rates.  I’m not talking security guards or dogs. But more sophisticated methods that will mark these thieves or the produce they steal with powders or something.  LOCAL FARMERS NEED SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE, SOMEBODY HELP PLEASE!!!

Had you sat in the dark with that shotgun there would be a few less thieves. You had the solution yet you were lazy.

IT IS SAD WHAT THIS FAMILY HAS HAD TO ENDURE ON THEIR FARM,THAT SAID, IT IS SADDER COMMENTARY FOR US AS A PEOPLE, AS THOSE OF US WHO ARE AWARE WE SEEM TO HAVE A LARGE TOLERANCE OR INDIFFERENCE FOR THEFT IN MY FORMER HOMELAND.SHAME ON US

I agree with this lady to give up the farming before they take her life and a few
more farmers should follow.
The thieves have nothing to fear even if they caught
the penalty is nothing that they have to be worried about.When some farmer do the obvious then you will hear the court telling them they were wrong.When the Bajan public relise that they is nothing in the market to buy then they will understand the reason.

This is shameful. When I was growing up in Barbados we grew our own vegetables and fruit. We also raised chickens, pigs, sheep etc. in St.John. This should be encouraged in a warm climate like Barbados. Here in Canada, we have Community gardens. A plot of land in a neighborhood where anyone can go to grow flowers or vegetables and it’s shared by all. It’s great for people who may not have land or room to grow and it’s a good way to encourage Community spirit, especially for people with sticky fingers.

Barbados is in absolutely no position to lose any farmers or allow for any conditions that detracts from farming.  The authorities must give adequate attention to this matter and there should be legislation that severely punishes anyone that conducts such acts. Let this matter slide and one day you might be paying $200 a pound for some imported, hormone pumped fowl.

It is so sad to see how these hard working folk loose everything after spending long hours preparing they fields and vegetables . It has become somewhat troubling and scary when one buys vegetables from vendors in markets or along the street when you are not sure where and how they might have obtain the produce being sold.
  I honestly think that one day someone will get sick or possibly die as a result of stolen produce sold. How many times can these hard working farms prepare they crops to loose them to a bunch of no good thugs?

Why do people feel entitled to steal? “Land for the landless” allows anyone to grow food! Bajans need to check themselves and stop behaving like a bunch of common criminals. Disgusting.

I give the article a 5.00.

I feel sorry for this lady and for Barbadians.  She is right this is not the 19th century but folks are acting like it.  Bajans don’t understand or know how lucky they are.  Do you know how expensive organic is here in the States and you have it practically free.  People wake up and see what a gem you have for a coutry. Instead of destroying this lady, maybe those strong hard back men that are doing the stealing should help build up and keep up the traditions.  Home grown food is the best. Wake up people we all play a part.

This is so wrong.  If the stealing of crops continues, it is definitely going to drive farmers out of business. They are putting in all the hard work and these thieves are reaping the benefits.  This is extremely hard. It is my view that all farmers should be allowed to erect electrified wiring around their properties which will be switched on and off at a certain time and with the appropriate warning displayed . All those unwelcomed and unwanted visitors who call at night will be treated a high dose of electricity and with any luck, some bodies will be captured.

Long time ago young boys used to go to Dodds for stealing things like a piece of sugar cane from a plantation which I thought was too much a penalty to pay. and nowadays thieves can
take a whole crop of vegetables and have no fear of the law.
Some of those young boys did as long as 5 years,why not give these people the same 5 years in Dodds(jail)now that it is the Prison.
Is it the system that is encouraging this kind of behavior?

Agnes Browne said that “This is not the 19th century, where I would have to sit down in the dark with a shotgun and wait for someone to come.”

I would say “This is Barbados not Ireland so sit down in the dark with a shotgun and wait for someone to come.”

These thieves are not going to stop robbing the small farmers in Barbados because we the public are partly to blame why, we should only buy ‘produce’, livestock/meat from reputable vendors not people vending at the corner or near the license markets.  Also people selling should be approached by police and should be able to produce receipts saying where they obtain these goods. this might not wipe out robbing from farmers but may deter some from doing so.

I agree with this Farmer. Stop Planting food and plant some Condo’s. Let us Barbadians pay $12 per pound for sweet potatoes.

And all the agriculturalist talking about get into agriculture. Not a chance! I planting houses on my land!!

Better Return on Investment and I don’t have to look out for food thieves and get ignored by the law when I call for help.