Minister of Agriculture Israel Bruce says Taiwan’s world-renowned capability in information technology can be used to help fight the theft of farm animal and produce — predial larceny — in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG)
“As we seek to modernise our agricultural sector, this expertise becomes invaluable,” Bruce said on Tuesday at a ceremony in Kingstown, where Taiwan donated a fire truck, 198 tons of rice and two containers of charitable goods to the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“One of our present challenges is praedial larceny, the theft of crops and livestock that undermines farmers livelihood and discourages investment,” said Bruce who is also minister of forestry and rural transformation.
He said that a Marriaqua farmer went to his farm recently and found that much of his harvest had been stolen.
“His loss was not just financial; it was emotional, a blow to his dignity and his thrust and trust in the system,” Bruce said, adding that, sadly, the farmer’s story is not unique.
“Imagine if that farmer’s produce had been digitally tagged and traceable from the farm to the market. The theft could have been deterred, accountability ensured. This is the promise of traceability system we now seek to implement,” he said.
“And so, we look forward in the near future to the component of cooperation,” he said and told Taiwan Ambassador to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Fiona Huei-Chun Fan, this is an area where Taiwan’s IT knowledge and equipment will ease the pains of Vincentian farmers.
“We are exploring the installation of Taiwan’s technology to fight the thieves and to bring back the smiles to the faces of our farmers,” Bruce said.
“This is not just about protecting crops. It is about restoring dignity, hope and confidence in agriculture.”
He said Tuesday’s donation was not an isolated act, “but part of a broader pattern of support and cooperation that Taiwan has consistently extended to us.
“As we accept these donations, we also look to the future. We envision continued collaboration in agriculture, exploring new technologies, enhancing food security and building resilience against climate change,” Bruce said.
He said that together, Taiwan and SVG can expand greenhouse production, strengthen livestock development and promote sustainable practices that safeguard the environment.
“With Taiwan’s expertise, we can modernise our system, implement traceability and stamp out predial larceny once and for all. This partnership will not only protect our farmers, it will go a long way to strengthen the four pillars of our economy, ensuring that agriculture, tourism, services, blue economy and IT go hand in hand,” the agriculture minister said.
It seems the NDP is aligning with U.S. policy or simply taking the easier path of asking for things.
Some of us returned to SVG hoping to make a contribution to development and one way was to get involved in farming, but after investing much time and money the thieves step in and dampen the initiatives. Something must be done now…hope we get some support from Taiwan and others.