A Rarotonga grower says farmers on the island are getting ‘angry’ as they have noticed some of their produce missing.

Te Tango Enua growers’ association president, Danny Mataroa who has repeatedly said that this is an ongoing issue told Cook Islands News: “It is alright to come take some to use for food but not to sell. When farmers lose their crops and harvest, they lose big time.

“Farmers are angry with what is happening.”

Another grower Mereana Taripo says they have been lucky that they are not constantly hit, but there are other hard working farmers and families island wide that are getting their produce stolen constantly.

“It can be anything – watermelons are a big thing at the moment, pineapples, lemons and root crops like taro and maniota/cassava. It’s really disappointing as your hard work in cleaning, planting, and maintaining your crops, then the  benefit going to another person that had no input at all in this.”

Taripo said thieves are not only striking in the cover of darkness, they have become more confident and doing this mischief in broad daylight.  

“What I mean by this is that they can go onto a taro patch, not only harvest but also sit there and clean this. Anyone driving by will think that they own the plot because they are self-assured. Unless you own it, or know of the family that plants there, then you might be able to catch them out.”

Taripo said it’s a good idea for all the planters, farmers, and families to work together in trying to catch these thieves with the support of not only the restaurants, cafes, and hotels but of the wider community.

“We’re struggling to find that person/s that picked our lemons three weeks ago because no one is forthcoming and probably not sure that they are taking stolen goods.

“The most upsetting part of this is that this person picked the lemons in such a rush that all the small ones that weren’t ready fell to the ground. That’s our future crop gone.

“I didn’t want to say this but, the kitchens of restaurants, cafes, and hotels are worked by our sister islands like Fiji and our Indonesian and Filipino communities.  They have no way of distinguishing between a farmer that plants for a living and a thief selling stolen goods. All they see is a local trying to sell a product that they may need at that moment like lemons.

“Restaurants, cafes, and hotels should always look out for when people deliver to them - thieves always ask for cash payment, they sell below market price, and they never give any contact number, and usually don’t return. It might be an idea to take a photo of them but it’s not very nice,” she added.

Meanwhile, Mataroa said a lot of the farmers have been going to the shops and notice that some of the lemons sold may be stolen. He said they are able to differentiate the stolen lemons and lemons actually picked by its owners (farmers).

He said, recently in Tupapa watermelons were stolen from a local farmer.

Mataroa said when a farmer is angry, it is ugly and it is because their hard work is affected as they look forward to their harvest.

He also claimed that they are suspecting that it is not only young Cook Islanders who could be taking their produce but could possibly be foreign workers as well. He advised that those who may be committing these crimes should look for extra work or work longer hours.