Agriculture Minister Audley Shaw is urging farmers not to take matters into their own hands, but to report incidences of praedial larceny to the police.

He also wants them to work with the ministry’s Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit, to put in preventative measures at their farms to deter praedial thieves.

The call from the Agriculture Minister follows the killing of two goat farmers in Westmoreland this week.

The bodies of 65-year-old Henry Jones and 42-year-old Bryan Chambers of Crowder District, Grange Hill in Westmoreland were found on Tuesday (December 14), with multiple gunshot and stab wounds.

They were last seen feeding their animals on Monday (December 13).

Mr. Shaw is expressing profound regret at the killings.

He also highlights an incident in Spanish Town last Friday (December 10) morning, resulting in the wounding of a goat farmer and two other persons.

That followed the recovery by the police of 30 of the farmer‘s goats that were stolen earlier.

Mr. Shaw says the incident speaks to the extent that criminals are prepared to go to reap what they have not grown.

In condemning what he describes as dastardly acts, Mr. Shaw calls on the police to leave no stone unturned in bringing justice to the families of the deceased men, even as he urges members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist the police in a speedy resolution of these murders.

The Agriculture Minister says, while praedial larceny continues to be a challenge for the sector, the police continue to make strides to apprehend those who rob farmers and fishers with some 41 arrests made between January and October this year.

He says the ministry remains resolute in its commitment to continue working with the police in providing the necessary support in ramping up their surveillance activities within the various farming communities as the country fights to reduce the incidences of praedial larceny as well as the loss of lives and livelihoods.