INFRASTRUCTURE development of lands at Bernard Lodge, owned by Sugar Company of Jamaica Holdings Limited (SCJ Holdings), is slated to begin soon now that the Government of Jamaica has reached an agreement with farmers who had protested the use of agricultural lands for urban development.

The Jamaica Observer has been reliably informed that the GOJ, through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), has negotiated with affected farmers and will pay each according to estimates of production lost.

Michael Blake, spokesperson for the farmers, referred the Business Observer to Bert Samuels QC for details of the agreement, but Samuels was unavailable for comment.

However, a high-placed source in the farming community said that in assessing settlement amounts, RADA applies a value to crops depending on whether they are permanent fruit trees or other types of produce.

The source noted, “The whole area of crop valuation is contentious due to the lack of an approved standard with respect to current value of a tree versus future value.”

The Business Observer also reached out to officials of RADA, but they deferred responses to their public relations unit.

Earlier this year, the Development Bank of Jamaica indicated that the ​divestment of lands under the Greater Bernard Lodge Development project would be undertaken in three phases.

Phase I, which was initiated in 2021, includes 5 blocks being — 3 residential (aggregate acreage 124.84 acres) and 2 light industrial blocks (aggregate acreage 74.37), with a total acreage of 199.21 acres. Phase II spans 20 blocks for the following developments: residential (detached and townhouses); and mixed use (the establishment of an urban town centre) and residential (townhouses).

The divestment process, which is being managed by both Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) Holdings and the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), is being guided by the Greater Bernard Lodge Development Master Plan (GBLDMP), a long-term project which covers 5,397.02 acres.

The estimated aggregate investment value of the development is over $19 billion.​ All projects are expected to commence construction by 2024.

However, there has been ongoing friction between SCJ Holdings Limited — the Government’s land management company and farmers. However in 2019, SCJ Holdings created a new agricultural subdivision of 1,330 acres, located to the south of the Bernard Lodge development, anto appease farmers. To date the promise has not been realised.

Former minister of state in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Floyd Green had promised that farming lands in the Bernard Lodge area of St Catherine will be “significantly” increased.

He said the number of farmers would increase from 171 to 235, and investment in infrastructure development for the communities would be done under the Greater Bernard Lodge Development Plan.

However, 2022 began with farmers protesting unfulfilled promises.