Jamaica has for long been known as the ‘land of wood and water’. This long-standing claim has however been questioned a lot over the years, as so many residents across the country experience frequent water shortages and in some cases, the absence of this precious commodity. The agriculture has been affected negatively for decades, leading to uneven development in this critical sector. According to Mr. Collin Coke, Senior Works Superintendent at the National Irrigation Commission, Jamaica is still the land of wood and water. The issue is “not that we have a shortage of water, we have just not been able to tap into, and store the precious commodity in sufficient quantities for consistent nationwide distribution”.
Long regarded as the “breadbasket” of the island, St. Elizabeth and Manchester have had its share of water issues over the years. The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has partnered with the National Irrigation Commission in the past, under its Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI-1) program, providing J$ 30.1 million to procure and install a pump that has served the NIC and its clients in Plumwood and surrounding communities, since 2017. This has provided a lifeline to thousands of farmers in Manchester and St. Elizabeth, who depend on the NIC’s pumping station to irrigate their farms.
Under the current REDI-2 project, the JSIF has recently collaborated with the NIC to install a PV Solar System at the Plumwood Pumping Station in Southern Manchester. Over J$37.1 million was invested to supply and install a 79.2 kW grid-tied photovoltaic system, which aims to reduce the JPSCo energy cost of the National Irrigation Commission and allow the agency to continue subsidizing the cost of irrigation water for farmers. The project consists of supplying, installation, and commissioning of a grid-tied 79.2-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system to serve the Plumwood Pumping Station in New Forrest and will facilitate the NIC’s transition to clean and renewable energy for its operations. The installed PV system will also allow the entity to have an alternative energy source.
The Second Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI- 2) is a loan to the Government of Jamaica by the World Bank valued at $US 40 million and is being issued as grants to beneficiaries in the agriculture and tourism sectors. The overall objectives of REDI-2 are to enhance access to markets and develop climate-resilient approaches for targeted beneficiaries.
The approximately 1,943 farmers who farm at the New Forest/Duff House Agro-Parks in South Manchester and South St. Elizabeth will benefit greatly from a more reliable source of water, extracted by the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) for agriculture. The precious commodity is transported by truckers who supply water to the farmers. The NIC and its workers at the Plumwood Pumping Station in New Forrest will also benefit through increased technical capacity gained through the operation and maintenance of the PV Solar system.
Energy engineer at the NIC, Mr. Emile Myers disclosed that, as a result of this project, the entity’s JPSCO energy bill has been reduced by 30-35%; freeing up critical resources for the Commission to offer additional services to the farming communities it serves. Additionally, the NIC is poised to better serve its clientele with a more reliable supply of water and improved service delivery.
This intervention by the JSIF is even more critical when we consider that this investment comes at a time of visible climate changes that have been negatively impacting the agriculture sector; with predictions by the authorities of worsening drought conditions projected for the immediate future. According to Omar Sweeney, Managing Director of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, “all efforts aimed at employing sustainable climate resilient measures must be addressed with urgency, in order to secure the country’s food supply, while protecting the livelihoods of all who depend on agriculture.”
