As meteorologists across the Caribbean sound the alarm over looming higher temperatures and heightened drought risk driven by the approaching El Niño weather pattern, Jamaica’s government has moved proactively to safeguard agricultural production and water access with a $145 million investment in upgraded water capture infrastructure islandwide. The landmark investment was announced Wednesday by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green during his address to the House of Representatives, as part of the ongoing 2026/27 Sectoral Debate.
Green outlined that the Rural Agricultural Development Authority will ramp up its comprehensive drought mitigation strategy throughout the upcoming fiscal year, anchored by a large-scale program to construct a network of new small-format water catchment ponds across high-risk regions. “In high-production agricultural zones, we’re going to be building out water catchment ponds and we’re targeting those parishes that are historically prone to drought,” Green told legislators.
Beyond the construction of new capture infrastructure, the government will deploy emergency water trucking to vulnerable communities facing acute shortages when necessary. To bolster this emergency response capacity, the Ministry of Agriculture will acquire two additional water trucks for the National Irrigation Commission, specifically to serve underserved rural areas that have long lacked reliable drought relief.
The ministry will also carry out systematic rehabilitation of existing aging catchment ponds and storage tanks, while distributing plastic and grass mulch to farmers across affected regions. Green emphasized that adapting agricultural practices is as critical as building new infrastructure, noting that changing planting and soil management techniques to retain soil moisture is a core component of the strategy. Farmers in St Elizabeth, Jamaica’s key agricultural breadbasket parish that has endured repeated severe water shortages over decades, have already adopted mulching as a proven method to keep crops viable through extended dry periods.
Additional support for impacted producers includes targeted distribution of drip irrigation systems and individual water storage tanks, Green confirmed. These on-the-ground interventions have already begun rolling out across the island, and every Member of Parliament will receive a dedicated budget allocation to support local farmers in preparing for the approaching dry conditions. “We want to start now before it is too late,” Green stressed, underscoring the government’s commitment to proactive rather than reactive drought response.
Addressing long-term water security beyond the immediate El Niño threat, Green noted that mitigating the upcoming drought is only one piece of the island’s water challenge. “Where will the water of the future come from? Yes, we’re in the land of wood and water, but water is always in demand and that is why the National Irrigation Commission will start this year to truly explore non-traditional water sources,” he said. Long-term resilience efforts will include feasibility and development work for desalination facilities to supply reliable irrigation water for agricultural producers, alongside research and deployment of grey water recycling technologies that can repurpose wastewater for agricultural use.
In broader irrigation expansion plans, the government has targeted 6,000 hectares of new arable land to be brought under formal irrigation coverage over the next five years. When complete, this expansion will push the share of Jamaica’s arable land with access to controlled irrigation water past 50%. Flagship projects include the 4,000-hectare Pedro Plains Irrigation Expansion System, paired with four smaller local projects that will bring an additional 2,000 hectares of farmland online with reliable water access.
Green made specific timeline commitments to farming communities, confirming that irrigation access for producers in Essex Valley will be activated before the end of 2026. The Hamity Hall and Bridge Pen irrigation systems are on track to go live by the second quarter of 2027, he added. “We’re building a better Jamaica through irrigation,” Green concluded in his address.
The announcement comes alongside on-the-ground evidence of past drought stress, captured in file photos showing tomato and scotch bonnet pepper crops affected by drought-like conditions in St Ann’s Walkerswood region, highlighting the urgent need for the new mitigation measures.