Farmer’s pigs stolen

Joab “Jimmy” Samuel, a South Rivers man who uses pig farming to supplement his income is calling on the police to do more when matters of praedial larceny are reported.

He is also calling on persons who steal farmers’ produce and animals to desist from such behaviour and think of the negative consequences these acts have on the farmer.

an abandoned jeep in the area which appeared to have been stuck because of the river.

Recently, nine of Samuel’s 10 pigs were stolen and the farmer told SEARCHLIGHT that this has put a huge dent in his income and his ability to take care of his family.

Samuel, who is employed with the (CWSA), rears pigs to diversify and supplement his income stream. He said he has been doing this for years and looks forward to the income the pigs bring in, especially in December. His pig pen is located in the mountains and one has to cross two rivers to get to it.

Samuel said that two weeks ago, he paid someone EC$30 to feed the pigs because he had work related training and could not go to the mountains.

That person asked someone else to carry out the task and later when he (Samuel) asked the man he had paid if the task was completed, the man went to his friend who he had passed the task onto.

Samuel said at this point, he was informed that some of the pigs were missing. He went to the mountain where he discovered that three piglets were missing while the guts of one of the bigger pigs was left behind and the meat taken.

He said he was distraught, but as he has nowhere else to keep the animals, he left the remainder in the mountain and continued feeding them, but when he went back on Sunday November 29, only one pig remained.

He noted also that when he discovered that the pigs were missing, he observed an abandoned jeep in the area which appeared to have been stuck because of the river.

Samuel is entertaining the idea that the vehicle was involved in the heist and he reported that to the police, but has not heard from them since.

“The Saturday before, I took one the pigs to a woman in Georgetown and left the rest and now the Sunday, all was gone and the jeep stuck up there because is two river crossings.

“Now only the mother pig leave and I report to the police and they went to the pen and I even gave them the jeep number,” Samuel said, while adding that his investigations have led him to believe that the vehicle at the scene of the crime belongs to someone in Chili Village.

“… And I don’t even know what going on with the police.

“Whoever did that leave me on my face because I was depending on my pig them for the holiday,” Samuel lamented while adding that he is of the opinion that the person or persons who stole the pigs are rearing them as they also took some sacks of feed he had at the site.

He said they took the feed that is specifically used for piglets, while the sack with the feed for the older pigs was also missing, but the contents were left at the site. He is of the opinion that this sack was used to help transport the slaughtered pig.

“Me have one income and that is not enough. I have children to send to school so I cannot decide to stop. I will continue.

“The most high will stop them and the police. I can’t stop them,” Samuel said while encouraging law enforcement officers to carry out proper investigations with crimes of this nature.