Forty-one farmers in Hartlands, St Catherine, are set to benefit from an $80 million irrigation project aimed at improving agricultural productivity, strengthening climate resilience and providing greater security for farmers who have long struggled with unreliable water access.

The Hartlands Irrigation Project, being implemented through the partnership between SCJ Holdings Limited (SCJ) and the National Irrigation Commission (NIC), will provide an irrigation system capable of serving approximately 400 acres of farmland, with the potential to accommodate more farmers in the future.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green said the investment represents a major step in resolving longstanding challenges faced by Hartlands farmers. He noted that the farmers had repeatedly raised concerns about the lack of infrastructure, uncertainty over land tenure and the difficulty of sustaining production without dependable water supplies.

“This Hartlands issue has been a longstanding issue…It has been a challenging situation but a situation that we committed that we would bring a solution to,” Green said during the launch of the project on Tuesday.

According to the minister, one of the key concerns raised by farmers was the need for security of tenure.

“They were tired of being on land, farming that land, and then you would hear that there is another use for that land, and then they would have to relocate from that land…And as such, one of the things that we set about to do was to ensure that in the relocation process that the farmers would get leases for their land that would give them security of tenure,” he said, adding that as part of the transition process, several farmers have already received leases for their plots.

He stressed that access to water is essential as farmers face changing climate conditions, including higher temperatures and less predictable rainfall patterns.

“And what we now recognise is that there was a time that you could easily wait on rain to fall and that would be enough for you to have your agricultural enterprise. The reality now is that is way too risky,” the minister said.

“And while we can’t control things like rain, we have to therefore put in things like irrigation that can get you the water you need to run a robust agricultural enterprise,” he continued.

Green said construction for the Hartlands Irrigation Project has already started, with pipes procured and teams working on the ground. The system is expected to be operational within three months.

“The only thing that a farmer without water appreciates is water. Everything else doesn’t compare until they have the water,” he said.

Farmer Tanya Anderson, who delivered remarks on behalf of beneficiaries, said the irrigation system represented renewed confidence among Hartlands farmers.

“Today is more than the launch of an irrigation system. It is a symbol of progress, partnership and renewed confidence in the future of agriculture,” Anderson said.

She said reliable irrigation would allow farmers to increase production, better manage weather challenges and improve their livelihoods.

“As farmers, we understand better than most that water is the lifeblood of agriculture,” she said. “Reliable irrigation gives us greater confidence to plan, invest, increase production and better withstand the challenges of changing weather patterns in strengthening our ability to produce more food, improve our livelihood and contribute to Jamaica’s food security.”

Horace Williams, who has spent 31 years seeking access to land in Hartlands, said the development marks a significant achievement for small farmers.

“We went from west and we circle the whole area and then we end up back out here. So it was a hard work but at the end we achieved our goal,” he said.

Williams said the lack of infrastructure had been a major obstacle but welcomed the introduction of irrigation as an opportunity to expand production.

“Currently we are doing cash crops, but our intention is to do some tree crops so we want to provide the environment with fruit trees back,” he said.

He praised the minister’s continued engagement with farmers, noting that Green had visited the community several times during the process.

“I’m very excited. As usual, the minister always makes his promise and he always keep it…We appreciate that a lot,” Williams said.

Likewise, Samuel King, who has been farming for six years, said the irrigation system would transform the way farmers operate.

“Where we are coming from is flood wetting and surface wetting under adverse conditions…Now we are going into the future with drip irrigation system mainly so it will be better for farmers, and in the end, the consumers to help grow what we eat, eat what we grow and help to generate the GDP (gross domestic product),” King said.

He said the project demonstrates that smaller farmers can also benefit from modern agricultural infrastructure.

“This project is breathing life into farmers who might have think that it was only big men alone who could get such an irrigation system,” he said.

Twenty-three-year-old youth farmer Tyrone Larkin said while the water project was a major step forward, improved road access remains a critical need for farmers in Hartlands.

“Road is the issue in Hartlands, yeah we want the road. As a young farmer representing youths in Hartlands, I was really really asking for the road and the water condition to be fixed,” Larkin said.

In that regard, Minister Green said the Government would work with SCJ, the National Works Agency, Member of Parliament, Dr Andrew Wheatley, and the parish council to address road concerns.

He also highlighted the Hartlands project as part of a wider national push to expand irrigation access for farmers.

The minister pointed to ongoing projects in Amity Hall/Bridge Pen and Essex Valley, which are expected to bring thousands of acres of agricultural land under irrigation coverage. He said more than 3,000 acres are expected to receive irrigation support in the coming months.

Green said the Government is also investing in smaller irrigation networks, catchment ponds and the rehabilitation of community tanks to improve water access for farmers across Jamaica.

He urged Hartlands farmers to maximise the opportunity created by the new infrastructure by putting their lands into production.

“One of the biggest threats to agriculture is the underutilisation of arable land. It’s not that a man wants to build a house on it, because normally a man wants to build a house on it after he looks and sees that nothing is happening with it,” the minister said. “So I’m saying farmers, we’re putting in these investments for you, and you have to use them or all of us will lose them.”

Green said the ultimate goal is to increase farmers’ earnings, strengthen food security and create greater economic opportunities.

“No matter what people say, the countries that will do well in this world going forward are the countries that can feed itself so it means the most important people in a nation are the people who provide the food,” he said.

(From left) Farmer Tanya Anderson; Vivion Scully, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Agro-Investment Corporation; Cleveland Allen, board chairman of SCJ Holdings Limited; Vitus Evans, board chairman of the National Irrigation Commission (NIC); Dr Andrew Wheatley, Member of Parliament for St Catherine South Central; Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green ; Joseph Gyles, CEO of the NIC; Jennifer Hull, councillor for the Horizon Park Division; and Nigel Myrie, managing director of SCJ Holdings Limited break ground for the Hartlands Irrigation Project on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

Samuel King is one of 41 farmers who will benefit from the Hartlands Irrigation Project. (Photo: Karl McLarty)