Andrew Holness
Andrew Holness|Jul 12, 2025 13:24
In 2015, I stood right here in Flagaman and had a heartfelt conversation with a gentleman named Sandy. He spoke with deep conviction about the need to bring water to Flagaman. He shared his vision for the agricultural potential of this area and the long-standing challenges farmers face without irrigation. He also reminded me of a promise made decades ago, around the year I was born, by then Prime Minister Michael Manley, who vowed to bring water from the Black River to irrigate these plains. That promise stirred hope, but it was never fulfilled. Over the years, many leaders have dreamed of transforming Pedro Plains. And there is nothing wrong with dreaming, dreams matter. But what matters just as much is the ability to turn those dreams into reality. That is what this administration is doing. We are not here to quarrel or point fingers. We are here to deliver. Today, I can say with pride that the Pedro Plains Irrigation Expansion Project is no longer a promise, it is happening. With an investment of 26 billion, this project will bring water from the Black River, supported by three reservoirs, multiple pumping stations, and a modern system of pipes and laterals. It will also include a 9-megawatt solar energy system. This is the largest irrigation project in Jamaica’s history. It will transform nearly 10,000 acres of farmland and improve the lives of over 6,000 farming families in southern St. Elizabeth. For decades, politicians said the right words. In 2005, then Minister Donald Buchanan announced that this same irrigation system would be delivered by June of the following year. The farmers in Beacon, Little Park, Newcombe Valley, Newell, Cross Roads, Flagaman, Richmond, and Big Woods were named as beneficiaries. But like so many promises before, it never materialized. What we are doing today is different. We are not repeating promises. We are fulfilling them. This is what we mean when we say we are building a stronger, more secure, more prosperous Jamaica.
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