$965 Million Allocated for Completion of Southern Plains Agricultural Development Project
By: , February 16, 2025
Photo: Donald De La Haye
Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, tables the 2025/2026 Estimates of Expenditure in the House of Representatives on Thursday, February 13.The Full Story
Completion of the Southern Plains Agricultural Development Project has been extended to September 2026 through allocation of over $965 million.
The funds are provided in the 2025/2026 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representatives on Thursday (Feb.13) by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams.
The earmarked funds will provide for completion of the installation of irrigation network and drainage infrastructure; procurement of global information system (GIS) equipment for the National Irrigation Commission (NIC); installation of pumps and equipment at Amity Hall in St. Catherine and Parnassus in Clarendon; complete the construction of a reservoir and pump house; and installation of ultraviolet (UV) sterilisation equipment.
The project, which began in December 2019, was initially slated to end in December 2024.
It is aimed at providing access to irrigation water to fallow sugar lands to increase agricultural productivity.
This will be achieved through the construction of wells and canal network and the development of the associated agricultural infrastructure in the arable areas of Amity Hall and Bridge Pen in St. Catherine and Parnassus in Clarendon.
Some of the achievements under the project up to December last year include the completion of irrigation and roads/drainage works in Amity Hall and Bridge Pen, while the Parnassus irrigation and roads/ drainage works are 93 per cent complete.
Additionally, the drilling of three wells and yield testing in Parnassus was completed and Jamaica Public Service (JPS) power supply installed at these wells.
A Gender Responsive Training Manual for farmer groups, along with capacity building for climate resilience and crop modelling, and a Matching Grant Scheme Operations Manual have also been completed.
The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining. It is co-funded by the Government and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).