By Kimone Witter
More than 700 farmers, operating on 810 hectares of land in the Essex Valley region of St. Elizabeth, will soon have improved access to irrigation to boost agricultural production and productivity.
The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service has approved a budget of $4.3 billion in the 2023/2024 financial year for the Essex Valley Agriculture Development Project land irrigation development in Comma Pen.
The system will deliver 1,700 cubic metres of water per hour. The farmers will also benefit from associated marketing facilities and farmer advisory services.
The project is being funded through a grant of more than £35 million from the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund and administered by the Caribbean Development Bank.
The project, originally scheduled for completion in June 2023, is now set to end December 2023, following delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
