Floyd Green calls for holistic agriculture infrastructural development
Published:Monday | December 20, 2021 | 12:07 AMChristopher Serju/ Senior Gleaner Writer
Member of Parliament for Southwest St Elizabeth Floyd Green is asking the Government to adopt a more holistic approach to infrastructural development which extends beyond the immediate boundaries of projects such as the Little Park Pump Station in his constituency, which recently received an upgrade of a solar photovoltaic energy system that provides 37 per cent of the electricity.
The $53.4-million project will serve farmers who operate on almost 500 acres of neighbouring land, but Green believes that his constituents would be better served if a more integrated approach to such developments was taken.
NO MORE THAN A DIRT TRACK
He was addressing the official commissioning ceremony last Thursday.
“If we could have a project to treat with infrastructure leading to our sites, such as the road network that leads to our pump houses; I think we should have a special project to raise the quality of that (surrounding) infrastructure because you don’t want to outlay so much resources and then have a difficulty accessing it.”
Green’s call came against the background of an absence of directional signs to the pump house, as well as the fact that the roadway leading to it was no more than a dirt track, which could only allow for single lane traffic at certain points.
The former agriculture minister continued his appeal.
“So, I have a number of roads that I would love to suggest as MP in this area that serves the irrigation network. Minister, really we could start with one like this, seriously it makes a big difference because not only will you be helping to get to the sites, you will also help the farmers to get to their fields.”
He also spoke to the fact that the project was one step in reducing Jamaica’s carbon footprint.
“A lot of countries, a lot of governments talk about climate change. I think this government has shown that we take action to deal with climate change and this project will lower our carbon footprint and will help in the fight against climate change.”
Meanwhile, in his keynote address, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw pointed out that the need for widespread action to deal with the adversities of the climate crisis is quite evident. He said the Government is committed to developing and implementing policies and systems to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis and maximising our usage of renewable energy is one way of cushioning the impacts of climate change.
“The pandemic has exposed the fragility in some of our leading industries but, of note, is the resilience in our agriculture sector, as our farmers continue to skilfully weather the impacts of climate change,” the minister declared.
Chairman of the National Irrigation Commission Nigel Myrie pointed out that as the organisation continues to make strides as the national provider of irrigation services, it recognises the need for continued and extended research to utilise the best available technologies, water resources data and policies in accordance with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ mandate to improve and expand service delivery.