Police have urged residents not to buy produce from people who are not known farmers or their representatives, in case the goods are stolen.

The call came after farmers across the island reported that thieves have been intruding on their land and stealing produce, with bananas being a prime target.

A police spokesman encouraged the farmers to lodge official reports so that officers could investigate the thefts.

JaVaughn Dill, of Dill’s Pickle Farming, went to cut his bananas a few days before Easter and discovered someone had got to the fruit before him.

He said that in some instances thieves stole only the ripened fruits.

“They took half of the bunch and left the other half. It is a major problem. This is a weekly thing and let's not talk about other crops that are being stolen,” he said.

Mr Dill estimated that each farmer suffered weekly losses of $1,200 to $1,500 worth of bananas.

He said that thefts increased between March and September when the crops flourished.

He added: “It slows down during the colder months because bananas usually go kind of dormant or slow down between late fall and winter.

“We don’t want to speculate where the bananas are going or who is buying them, but someone is buying them.”

Although a number of varieties are grown on the island, he said the Cavendish bananas, know locally as Bermuda bananas, were favoured by the thieves.

Tom Wadson, of Wadson’s Farm, told The Royal Gazette that a week ago, three people had been spotted stealing crops from his farm at various times.

Since then, a resident who lived nearby saw one of the thieves lurking around his farm on two occasions.

He said farmers planned a proposal to the Government for any vehicles used in farm thefts to be impounded.

He added: “That would stop it — it may be wishful thinking but that would definitely do something.”

Mr Wadson said the island’s farmers could collectively be losing thousands of pounds of bananas per week.

“It is literally a day and night activity,” he said.

“When you plant bananas, they are there for years and these guys got it all scoped out, they come back and steal your crop.”

He added: “I’ve been doing this for 50 years and I am into my seventies but I’m going to be cutting back.

“Now it’s tough out there because it is discouraging when your crop gets stolen.”

Carlos Amaral, of Amaral Farms, said he has not been affected by thefts but sympathised with colleagues who had suffered losses.

He said: “Hopefully I am not jinxing myself but I definitely haven’t had any issues. But that can change from one minute to the next.

“I know it has been a persistent, ongoing problem for other farmers for a while now.”

He added: “It is not only the theft side but also the damage that is incurred while they are stealing stuff.

“It is other crops that are in the fields. They are doing more damage to those crops and ultimately it has affected all these guys’ businesses.”

Mr Amaral suggested the thieves were stealing for “a quick hustle that they are making to get a $40 or a $50”.

“Our issue is not the person who is struggling for food to eat, it is the individual that is using our work as a source of revenue for themselves.”

Last August, several farmers across the island reported incidents in which produce was taken by intruders.

The police spokesman warned residents that stolen vegetables may recently have been chemically treated.

He added: “Consuming produce too soon after a chemical application could be detrimental to health.”

The spokesman said stealing agricultural produce, or receiving such goods, could be punished by a maximum fine of $10,000 or up to five years in prison.

In 2022, farmers across the island suffered “rampant” thefts from fields during the day as well as under the cover of darkness.

At the time, the Government said that since the pandemic, incidents across Bermuda had increased significantly.

Walter Roban, the former Minister of Home Affairs, met farmers to talk about the problems and ways the sector could be boosted. He pledged to address the farmers’ concerns.

• Anyone who suspects they may have been invited to buy stolen produce, or who may have any information on theft from farmers’ gardens, is asked to call 211 or 295-0011