Farmers Will Continue to Receive Free Irrigation Water – Minister Green

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining will continue to provide irrigation water to farmers across the island to alleviate drought conditions on farms, says portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green.

He noted that approximately 110,000 gallons of water is being trucked per week, free of charge, with more than two million gallons supplied in August.

Mr. Green said that the trucking is being facilitated by the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) with support from the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and private truckers.

“The fact that we are now in drought, we have to put in our emergency systems. We have been tracking the water… free of cost to help them bring their crops to fruition,” he said.

“We know it is a difficult time but I want to assure the farmers that as much as possible, we are going to help,” he assured.

The Minister was addressing the official handover of an irrigation transmission system by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) at the Agro-Investment Corporation (AIC) Agro Park in Ebony Park, Clarendon, on Thursday (September 17).

Completed at a cost of $114.59 million under JSIF’s Rural Economic Development Initiative II (REDI II) Sub-Project, the scope of works included installation of 1.8 kilometres of force transmission main, upgrades to existing distribution lines, rehabilitation of the pump at Spring Plain, and installation of pump switchgear.

The strengthened irrigation network will reach approximately 1,474 acres across the Ebony Park, Spring Plain, and Mango Agro-Park network.

Minister Green, in welcoming the completion of the project, noted the importance of building irrigation infrastructure as a long-term solution to drought and heat on farms.

“Trucking will take us so far and no more. We have to continue to expand these irrigation systems,” he said.

“The other thing that we have to do is to use the increased sunlight to drive the energy needs for these irrigation systems,” he added.

He noted that since the commissioning of the new irrigation system at Ebony Park, more than $17 million worth of crops have been established across 36 acres.

“That $17 million in investment, we expect to return at least $40 million in economic value, and we expect to see an additional $84 million when the full 93 acres is put into production,” the Minister said.

“In the production cycle, our farmers will show the return on investment of the $100 million by the Government, and that is why this Government continues to invest in agriculture. We understand that the best way to prepare for drought is to expand these systems,” he said.

“We have to prepare for the inevitable, because our climate has changed and we are going to be seeing drier conditions and longer periods of drought,” he added.