MINISTER of Agriculture and Fisheries, Pearnel Charles Jr has moved to allay concerns regarding the use of prime agricultural lands at Innswood, St Catherine for housing, arguing that the Government is firm in its position that it will protect arable lands as part of its strategy to ensure food security.

“I think the discussions around Bernard Lodge [and] the Innswood issue [have] really led to a lot of misinformation. There has been in that case no transfer of agricultural land to housing. As a matter of fact, the company that currently has the lease has expressed a desire to expand agricultural production,” he stated in discussions with editors and reporters at this week’s Monday Exchange at the Jamaica Observer‘s Beechwood Avenue headquarters.

Charles was speaking against the background of recent reports regarding housing development on agricultural lands at Innswood, by Jamaican-Canadian business mogul, and chairman of Portland Holdings Michael Lee-Chin.

Lee-Chin has since dismissed those reports that he was abandoning a major agricultural farm at Innswood, pointing out that his investment in the food production project is still active.

The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) had called on the Government for full disclosure of the terms and agreements of the sale of agricultural lands to Portland Holdings. According to a statement from the party, it had information that “the 3,000 acres acquired by Lee-Chin and company has irrigation infrastructure, making it extremely high value for agricultural purposes. Additionally, land zoned for agricultural use is priced significantly lower than land zoned for housing”.

Lee-Chin outlined in an Observer interview that he had entered into a lease agreement with the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) Holdings in August 2019 for 2,600 acres of land at Innswood, which was left idle after the demise of the island’s sugar industry. He explained that the success of initial cash crops was moderate so the decision was taken to move to orchard farming, which is now a work in progress.

He said he learnt only six months ago that SCJ had, in 2017, applied for a land-use change for 1,200 acres of the 2,600 acres he had leased. The businessman said he then approached SCJ to explore the possibility of participating in the development, but not to the detriment of the agriculture project. Lee Chin said those talks are still underway and no decision has been made.

On Monday, Minister Charles pointed out that there are other companies which have expressed an interest in using marginal lands for housing development, but that this is not uncommon. “I, more than anyone, understand the need to protect and confine our ideal agricultural lands. We can’t afford now to divert them for other use. The issue is that the discussion gives the impression that that is currently being done, and it is not so,” he told the Observer.

Charles made clear, however, that the Government is determined to evaluate all crown lands and to ensure their best use.

“If there is currently land zoned for housing that is ideal for agriculture, it is likely that it will transfer [and] if there is land that is now currently in agriculture that would be best for housing, it is likely that it will be used for housing,” he said.

He said the Holness administration’s approach is in line with its ‘grow smart, eat smart’ food security policy “where you are in a very strategic and purposeful way doing things that make sense”.

The Opposition has cautioned the Government against venturing down a path of allowing private investors to use arable lands designated for food production “for exploitative profit-generation purposes with no clear national gain”.