Gov’t to undertake $800 m greenhouse expansion
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government has allocated $800 million to construct 95 greenhouses across four parishes before the end of 2026.
The announcement was made by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, during his 2026/2027 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (May 13).
He noted that protected agriculture is critical in building resilience in the climate-vulnerable sector, and as such, the Government has embarked on the “largest outlay of protected agriculture structures in our history”.
Of the 95 greenhouses, 40 will be established in Mocho, Clarendon; 20 in Water Valley and 15 in Black Stone Edge in St Ann; 10 in Lancaster, Manchester, and 10 in Damhead, St Catherine.
Additionally, the greenhouse cluster in Content, Manchester, will be transformed into a protected agricultural zone complete with storage and a new farm road, the minister said.
He noted that under the US$50-million Green Climate Fund (GCF) ADAPT Jamaica project, a series of greenhouses will be designed and built to withstand Category Five hurricanes.
“It’s one of the hallmarks of the project. We’re going to be designing greenhouses fit for purpose for our reality, and we’re going to be spending over $1.5 billion over the next five years to roll out those greenhouses,” he pointed out.
The aim of the GCF project is to enhance climate resilience for approximately 700,000 vulnerable farmers across central parishes over the next five years.
— JIS
