Amity Hall/Bridge Pen irrigation system commissioned

He also launched the Amity Hall/Bridge Pen Agro-Park, with the two initiatives representing the completion of a major component of the Southern Plains Agricultural Development Project (SPADP).

The developments were financed through a £17-million grant (more than J$3 billion) from the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UKCIF), administered by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

The initiatives aim to maximise the agricultural potential of Jamaica’s southern parishes by addressing long-standing water-access challenges while building climate resilience.

Speaking during the commissioning and launch event, Minister Green expressed pride in seeing the initiative come to fruition.

He highlighted the long-standing challenges faced by local farmers due to inadequate infrastructure, which prompted renewed attention to the development of the country’s southern plains.

“That is why when our friends from the United Kingdom established the Caribbean Infrastructure Fund… and invited member states to come to them with projects, the Government decided that we are going to seek the funds to help drive agriculture, because we believe that that will give us the greatest return on investment,” he said.

Earlier this year, the Parnassus Agro-Park in Clarendon was launched, and the Essex Valley Irrigation System in St. Elizabeth is expected to be commissioned by the end of the year.

By addressing long-standing barriers to full-scale agricultural production, the project brings critical infrastructure upgrades to 480 hectares (more than 1,100 acres) of fertile land.

These include the construction of one of the country’s largest agricultural reservoirs, with a capacity of more than 20,000 cubic metres (5.2 million gallons) of water; a fully pressurised pipeline network drawing water from the Rio Cobre through upgraded facilities at the Hartlands Canal; and a 100-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system designed to offset operational costs and generate an estimated $10 million in annual savings.

Minister Green noted that the new agro-park will be managed by the Agro-Invest Corporation (AIC), which has already started providing proactive business guidance and ensuring equitable land access.

To date, 838 acres of land have been leased to 72 approved investors. In line with the government’s policy of reserving at least 25 per cent of agro-park lands for youth and women, young farmers have leased 53.6 hectares, surpassing the target of 45 hectares, while women have leased 34 hectares.

“I say to you, farmers and investors, we have done our part… we have provided the water, we provided the farm roads, we provided technical support, and the land… farmers, you need to do your part now. You need to put your hands together, you need to put these lands into productive use,” Minister Green urged.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to Jamaica, Her Excellency Alicia Herbert, underscored the importance of partnerships in supporting farmers, noting their critical role in ensuring food security and driving local economic development.

She noted, however, that given the increasing impact of climate change on the agricultural sector, the United Kingdom was proud to partner in the project.

“Across the Caribbean, changing rainfall patterns, longer dry periods, and more extreme weather events are placing growing pressure on agriculture and food production. So that means that investing in climate resilience is not simply desirable, it is essential,” High Commissioner Herbert said.

Director of Projects at the CDB, L. O’Reilly Lewis, shared similar sentiments, noting that other Caribbean countries confronting climate-related challenges comparable to Jamaica’s, could adopt the project as a model for enhancing agricultural resilience and water security.