Resolutions to Increase Investment in Irrigation Passed in the Senate

Two resolutions aimed at increasing access to water by farmers through investment in irrigation infrastructure were approved by the Senate on Friday (Oct. 16).

They are the Pedro Plains (Beacon/Little Park) (Irrigation Area) Order, 2026, Resolution and the Braco (Irrigation Area) Order, 2026, Resolution.

Education, Skills, Youth and Information Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, who piloted the resolutions, said they represent another important step in the Government’s ongoing efforts to modernise the agricultural sector, strengthen national food security, improve the livelihoods of farmers and build a more productive economy.

“For generations, Jamaican farmers have demonstrated extraordinary resilience, ingenuity and determination. They have cultivated the land, sustained our communities, supported our economy and contributed immeasurably to our national development. Yet too often the success of their labour has depended on the weather rather than on the availability of dependable agricultural infrastructure,” Senator Morris Dixon said.

She shared that both Braco and Pedro Plains were declared irrigation areas in 1983 and 2013, respectively.

Senator Morris Dixon noted that the expansion of irrigation areas are critical prerequisites to achieving the National Irrigation Commission’s (NIC) strategic objective of increasing access to land with irrigation services by 15 per cent by 2030.

“Jamaican farmers across the country must be able to access adequate water at the right time, in the right quantity and at manageable cost. At a time like this when rainfall is irregular and we are in a historic drought, even the most productive lands may experience reduced yields,” she said adding that irrigation initiatives will allow farmers to be better positioned to plan planting cycles, diversify crops and protect their investments, among other things.

The expanded Braco Irrigation Area will now include Clark’s Town in Trelawny and encompass approximately 5,000 hectares, while the ongoing $26 billion Pedro Plains expansion project will utilise surface flows from Black River.

“The Pedro Plains project, when completed, will impact at least 6,000 farmers and also will be looking at 4,103 hectares of land on the Pedro Plains,” Senator Morris Dixon said, adding that $500 million was allocated in the current fiscal year to advance the project.

Opposition Senator, Allan Bernard, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said the opposition unequivocally supports the expansion of the irrigation infrastructure in Braco and Pedro Plains.

“Our farmers have demonstrated extraordinary resilience producing food under difficult climate conditions, confronting rising production costs, and in many instances, depending on unpredictable rainfall for their livelihoods,” Mr. Bernard said.

He pointed out that the expansion presents an opportunity to transform agricultural production, improve rural livelihoods, strengthen food security and reduce Jamaica’s dependence on imported food.