Agriculture ministry emphasises importance of irrigation for agricultural expansion

Hon. J.C. Hutchinson (2nd left), Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries; views irrigation equipment along with (from left) Thomas Davidovich, Regional Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean, Naandanjain Irrigation Company; O’Brien Johnson, Managing Director, St. Jago Farm & Hardware Supplies Ltd; Sankofa Mukulu, Cluster Coordinator, Agro-Invest Corporation; and Anthony Trought, Agro-Park Manager, Ebony Park/Spring Plain agro-parks; at Denbigh in Clarendon on May 16. The occasion was a seminar on irrigation hosted by St. Jago Farm Supplies in collaboration with Naandanjain Irrigation Company of India for farmers and other agricultural stakeholders.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon J.C. Hutchinson, has emphasised the importance of adequate irrigation to the consistent and sustainable growth of agricultural production.
Noting that the country can no longer rely on rainfall only, Minister Hutchinson said that it is important that farmers understand and employ the necessary techniques to manage Jamaica’s water resources effectively.
He was speaking at an irrigation seminar organised by St. Jago Farm Supplies and Hardware in collaboration with Naandanjain Irrigation Company from India, for farmers and stakeholders in the sector that was held at Denbigh in Clarendon on May 16.
Minister Hutchinson reiterated Government’s commitment to improving the management of the country’s water resources, stating that some $52m is being spent on implementation of the Essex Valley Irrigation Project and the rehabilitation of irrigation systems in south Clarendon and St. Catherine.
Other measures being undertaken by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) to mitigate the effects of climate change, Minister Hutchinson said, included providing assistance to farmers to improve their knowledge and income by the adaptation of suitable on-farm irrigation systems using technology transfer.
RADA, he said, also helps farmers to improve their on-farm water use and provides installation services for irrigation/fertigation systems.
For the 2017-2018 year, Minister Hutchinson said that RADA had conducted 988 farm visits, installed 12 irrigation/fertigation systems and conducted 237 capacity building sessions for farmers.

Additionally, under the Irrigation Farmer Field School Project being implemented by RADA, 120 farmers have been exposed to low-cost rainwater harvesting systems and climate change resilience methods or strategies.
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