A Guapo gardener reported to the police a loss of over $10,000 owing to praedial larceny.

Wayne James, 66, said the thieves stole over $7,000 worth of plantain suckers from his garden off Forest Reserve Road.

Additionally, the thieves damaged about 200 fully grown trees with young and full plantain in tack.

The thieves, Jones said, were more interested in the suckers, which are used to plant new trees, than the plantains.

"I grow two types of plantains: horse (large) and French (smaller) plantains. They stole about 1,000 horse suckers. One sucker is roughly about $7. Because they dug out the suckers around the trees, they are falling," Jones said.

[caption id="attachment_968856" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Farmer Wayne James 66, shows the damage done to his plantain trees when they were cut and the suckers stolen over the weekend at his Back Street, Guapo, Point Fortin garden on Monday. - Marvin Hamilton[/caption]

"The weight of the plantain is different. Some are about 17 pounds, 25 pounds, and 34 pounds. I sell wholesale about between $3 and $3.50 per pound."

James of Lot Ten Village, Guapo, recalled that he went to his garden on Thursday and harvested 200 pounds of grameshel fig. He returned on Sunday around midday and made the discovery.

On Monday, he reported it to the police. He is hoping officers would arrest the thieves.

James would like to be compensated for his loss but feel he might not be entitled, considering he plants his crops on state lands.

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