A new law calls for stiffer penalties for stealing from farms, and farmers are being urged to report crimes.

Candido Medrano is a Waialua farmer who has been burglarized, not once, but twice.

The first time, thieves helped themselves to his bananas.  The second time, they took all of his copper supports for his bitter melon plants.

"They just pulled all the pipes and I go there in the morning, and all my plants were falling down," said Medrano.

Medrano never reported the theft.  But after Tuesday's meeting spearheaded by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, he said he will.

Many of those who showed up are members of the Waialua Farmers Cooperative.

The farms can be easy targets, because they are not fenced.

“It's hard for the farmers because the bananas are once a year and that's their crop; that's their livelihood. The thieves are becoming very daring. They are coming in broad daylight now," said Edith Ramiscal.

Stella Lacuesta's father lost $500 worth of his crops of lychee and mangoes the night before he was to harvest it.

"He had a buyer for it and he had to tell that buyer he couldn't fulfill the order so that was disappointing," said Lacuesta.

One after another, the stories trickled out.