Major financing for irrigation projects

THE GOVERNMENT has secured about $1.4 billion to finance 18 small-scale irrigation systems. Two of the systems are slated for St. Thomas and are expected to benefit over 400 farmers.

Minister of Water and Housing, Dr. Karl Blythe, said discussions would be held with the Ministry of Agriculture and farmers to work out a cost-recovery programme for the project.

Speaking at the recent annual general meeting of the St. Thomas Association of Branch Societies of the Jamaica Agricultural Society at the Morant Bay All-Age School, Dr. Blythe said farmers would have to pay the full cost of the service over a five year period. One of the requirements of the programme, he said, was that farmers would play a critical role in the management of the systems.

The two irrigation projects for St. Thomas are the Mount Ida/Coley and Yallahs systems. The Mount Ida Coley project, to cost some $15.6 million, includes the construction of a diversion structure in the Negro River. The structure is expected to serve about 75 farmers and irrigate 60 hectares of land that is not in full production.

The Yallahs project will cost approximately $190 million and includes the general rehabilitation of wells, pipeline and a canal. It will serve 418 farmers and irrigate 472 hectares.

Mr. Blythe told the farmers that the projects were the result of a National Irrigation Development Plan that was put into place two years ago and had identified 51 projects to be implemented by 2015. He said the cost of the 51 projects would amount to about $5 billion and was expected to put an additional 16,000 hectares of land under cultivation and assist 6,900 farm families.

The Minister reported that the Government had earmarked some $30 million to improve the water supply in Yallahs and surrounding areas. He said the money would be used to rehabilitate the micro dam at Albion and the West Albion Canal Network. In addition, he said, $22 million would be spent to construct the Windsor Castle Irrigation System.

He said the project was expected to begin this financial year once the technical work was completed.

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