Major Boost for Agriculture: $23.6B Pedro Plains Irrigation Project to Benefit Thousands of Farmers
The Government has committed $23.6 billion to the Pedro Plains Irrigation Expansion Project in St. Elizabeth.
The project will draw from the Black River surface flow to expand irrigation access to more than 6,000 farmers across 4,000 hectares of land.
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness will officially break ground in July 2025 for the project, which will be a game-changing initiative to expand agricultural productivity and land ownership.
Speaking last Tuesday (May 27) during his 2025/26 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Floyd Green says the initiative includes a significant land regularization component.
Already 19,000 parcels have been mapped, and cadastral surveys have been completed for 1,000 parcels.
Government to deliver free titles for St. Elizabeth farmers under the programme
As part of the project, Minister Green said 1,000 land titles will be generated free of cost for area residents, addressing long-standing challenges in land ownership.
“For a long time, we haven’t had titles for our land in St. Elizabeth. As a part of this project, we will be generating 1,000 titles free of cost for the residents in that belt. And when we break ground, the Prime Minister will hand out 200 that day,” Minister Green said.
This announcement marks the continuation of the government’s broader drive to modernize and expand irrigation infrastructure across Jamaica.
Minister Green contrasted the scale of current efforts with that of past administrations:
“Unlike other governments that only do irrigation in certain places, we are covering a wide scope. Together, with the Pedro Plains Initiative, these projects will expand irrigation to approximately 5,000 hectares.”
He mentioned that since taking office in 2016, the Holness administration has implemented 12 major irrigation projects across six parishes, including Portland, Clarendon, St. Catherine, Manchester, St. Thomas, and St. Elizabeth.
“Between 2012 and 2016, irrigation was confined to a few select areas. But since this government took office in 2016, we have rolled out 12 major projects across six parishes. This is a new era of irrigation,” Minister Green declared.
The Pedro Plains Irrigation Expansion Project is expected to boost agricultural production and climate resilience in Jamaica’s food belt, as well as improve the livelihoods of thousands of small- and large-scale farmers.