Farmer robbed of 200 pounds of chicken meat

One female farmer in central Jamaica is counting her losses, after she said that she was conned out of 200 pounds of plucked chicken, which, at $300 per pound, valued $60,000.

Rosemarie Gillespie, who is in her 40s, told THE STAR that she was duped by a man posing as a customer. The purported customer informed her that he was seeking to purchase 800 pounds of chicken.

"Him say him want me parcel dem out in a 50 pounds and me a say me nuh think me can find so much, and a so me start weigh out and find 200 pounds. Dis yah man yah come inna me kitchen and watch me weigh out the chicken dem. Him watch me tek out the last chicken and put pon the scale. The person weh tell him say me have chicken help him a carry out the chicken dem and the man come out a me house with the chicken dem. When the guy him come with come back in the house fi the next bag, by time him reach outside, the man gone wid the whole a di chicken dem," she said.

Gillespie, who has been farming since she was 27, recalled her excitement at being introduced to the 'buyer', as she needed the funds to finance her son's schooling.

"Me gather up everything fi me baby go school and me couldn't find the $10,000 fi pay me baby school fee and the baby nuh get fi go school. Me get the shoes, sort out him uniform, do the medical and yet still me baby nuh get fi go school cause me nuh have the $10,000 fi pay fi the term. But God nah sleep, sumn soon work out," Gillespie said.

She has not yet reported the incident but is cautioning farmers to be vigilant of persons posing as customers.

"if you nuh come wid yuh money before the chicken weigh, the chicken nah go to you," she advised.