22 Leases Distributed for Amity Hall/Bridge Pen Agro-Park at Denbigh

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining on Saturday (August 1) handed over 22 agricultural leases to approved investors in the Amity Hall/Bridge Pen Agro-Park, under the second phase of the Southern Plains Agricultural Development (SPAD) Project.

The ceremony was hosted by the Agro-Investment Corporation (AIC) during the 72nd staging of the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show in May Pen, Clarendon, under the theme ‘Growing Forward Through Agricultural Investment’.

Speaking at the ceremony, Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, said the 22 leases distributed cover 123 acres of land, and is projected to provide approximately 370 jobs, marking an investment of more than $90 million.

The Minister highlighted that a total of 56 investors have already been approved to occupy land in the Amity Hall/Bridge Pen Agro-park, 18 of which are youth.

“We have one person already that we’ve approved for lease who is a person with disability. We specifically target persons with disability, and we already have of the mix 12 women. We specifically target our female farmers to be a part of this,” Minister Green stated.

“This is the evolution of the Amity Hall/Bridge Pen facility, and this is really about driving our food security,” he added.

He noted that while the project is not completed, handing over the leases will put the farmers in a state of readiness for when the agro-park officially opens in the coming months.

“We are ensuring that when the water comes all farmers are ready. They have security of tenure; they have already identified the crops that we’re going to do,” he said, adding that, so far, farmers have indicated that they will plant sweet pepper, hot pepper, sweet potato, pumpkin, tomato, and plantain.

The Minister also announced land-clearing support for approved investors to accelerate production and reduce barriers to entry, noting that 200 acres have already been earmarked for clearing.

Additionally, Minister Green stated that under the Matching Grant Scheme, $1.2 million in investment and input support will be provided to qualifying investors for them to start their agricultural enterprises.

Minister Green urged the lease holders and other approved investors to utilise the lands when they receive them, pointing out that there has been an issue of underutilisation in the agro-parks.

“One of the problems we’ve had in the agro-parks in the past is people have taken on the leases and then the land still does not serve anybody. It lays underutilised. It does not help our food security,” he said.

“I beg you, because… if you don’t use it, you are going to lose it,” Minister Green warned.