$1m NIC bill shocks farmer
Published:Tuesday | February 8, 2022 | 12:08 AMChristopher Serju/Senior Gleaner Writer
The National Irrigation Commission (NIC) is in the process of transitioning from the antiquated open-canal system which it uses to supply water to the island’s farmers, to a more modern pipe network that would accurately supply water on demand, and in a more accurate way, to individual clients.
Chief executive officer of the NIC, Joseph Gyles, gave this assurance but did not offer a timeline for the proposed changeover, during Wednesday’s tour of fish farms in St Catherine by a top-level ministry team, led by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Pearnel Charles Jr and State Minister Frank Witter. He explained that the “ageing” distribution system for irrigation water now in use had been installed in the 1940s.
Gyles was responding to a call my Errol Gillespie, a fish farmer in Nightingale Grove, Bushy Park, for an overhaul of the water accounting system used by the NIC to measure the amount it supplies to farmers.
Gillespie said he was shocked to receive a bill for $1 million, which he queried, providing various photographs with supporting emails, showing that the system could not have provided that volume of water to his farm. The NIC staff, he explained, was courteous and very professional while checking out his complaint, and the bill was soon adjusted down to $80,000, which is the correct amount. However, he is still not satisfied with the methodology used by the commission for measuring water that is.
NOT GETTING THAT AMOUNT
“The amount of water that they thought they delivered, there is no way I could have received it, even without a damaged infrastructure; but they adjusted it. In spite of the adjustment, the amount of water that they constantly deliver to me, I am still not getting. Right now I have a $220,000 bill, but in reality the maximum I should be paying is one-third of that amount,” he told The Gleaner.
Gillespie insisted that his farm is not big enough to accommodate the volume of water that would be equated with that amount of money, using the rate charged by the NIC. This is because a lot of the water is wasted through cracks in the concrete canals, as well as, in some cases, diversion of the water by others operating upstream of his farm. “Although we have the will and other resources, there is no way we could do any serious expansion with that system.”
“The NIC is embarking on a programme where we are trying to change out those ageing canals to put in pipes, so just give us some time, Mr Gillespie. I know you are one of the better farmers. I’ll personally visit your farm and see if there is anything that we can do to make life better for you down that side,” Gyles declared.
“Thank you, Mr Gyles, but I would like such courtesies to be extended to all the farmers,” was the swift response from Gillespie.
Over in Hill Run, Charles gave more commitments that the ministry would work towards ensuring that the fisheries sector delivers on its vast potential.
“My responsibility and my goal is to make sure that we can support all our farmers – small and large – to build this fisheries sector, unlock its potential, provide healthy fish and food to our people and meet the local demand.
“If we are able to grow and meet that demand, and more pickney are going to school, we’ll have better infrastructure across communities. Rural Jamaica will grow and be upgraded, and you’ll have the kind of employment that people can be proud of – to say they have put their investment in and worked the soil, and they have developed their ponds and can see the economic benefits – and the profit can be used to help you and your family.”