Essex Valley Cold Storage Facility to Open Doors in June

Farmers and agro-processors could have cold storage access as early as June 2025 when the Essex Valley cold storage unit in St. Elizabeth is slated for completion.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, informed that he recently toured the site, which is expected to be the largest government-owned cold storage facility, occupying more than 3,000 square feet.

“It can hold about 20 containers and has processing capability. It’s going to be something to behold. We do expect it will be completed by June, and our Prime Minister [Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness] will be able to open that facility,” he added.

Minister Green made the announcement during a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday (April 9).

Additionally, work on the $124-million cold storage unit in Kirkvine, Manchester, is under way and is expected to be completed by August 2025.

This project is being undertaken by the Government and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) through its Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) II. The facility will benefit more than 1,500 farmers and producers in the area.

Mr. Green indicated that the Ministry will be placing additional focus on establishing cold-storage facilities, “so that when our farmers have periods of excess, they have somewhere to store it”.

Consequently, the government has commenced the procurement process to undertake refurbishing of the Coleyville cold-storage unit in Manchester.

There are also plans to establish other modular cold-storage units across the country.

Minister Green, who also provided an update on various irrigation projects, announced that the Parnassus Irrigation Scheme in Clarendon will be launched later this month, adding that Prime Minister Holness is expected to commission the system on April 23.

The Parnassus Irrigation Scheme, which is part of the Southern Plains Agricultural Development Project, aims to provide irrigation access to arable lands in Amity Hall and Bridge Pen in St. Catherine and Parnassus in Clarendon to increase agricultural productivity.

Mr. Green said this forms part of the Ministry’s aim to bring 1,600 hectares of land under irrigation.

He added that this does not include 3,000 additional hectares of coverage, which will be provided under the Pedro Plains Irrigation Scheme.