Over 97 Farmers Consulted on Irrigation Infrastructure Development in Richmond Valley 

By S.Browne. Updated 5:04 p.m., Friday, December 12, 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Over 97 farmers and other stakeholder representatives operating in the Richmond area of Agricultural Region 1 participated in a stakeholder consultation on irrigation infrastructure development on Thursday, 11 December 2025.

The consultation, held at the Fitz Hughes Learning Resource Centre, forms part of an initiative by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), through its Subregional Office for the Caribbean (FAO SLC), to support national efforts to strengthen climate-resilient agriculture and promote sustainable water management by improving irrigation infrastructure and related management practices.

The current mission represents the second phase of assessment, focused on preparing a robust prefeasibility proposal and an order-of-magnitude budget for a 100-acre pilot irrigation scheme in the Richmond Valley.

Deputy Chief Agricultural Officer, Colville King, told farmers that the proposed initiative would help increase production and productivity, reduce the cost of production, and enhance the competitiveness of the country’s produce.

FAO Irrigation Infrastructure Specialist, Emiliano Narpe, presented the proposed irrigation concept and invited feedback from participants.

There was consensus among stakeholders in support of the proposed irrigation project, and they shared their perspectives to better define the project area and scope, as well as to identify and mitigate potential risks.

Among the concerns raised were the potential impact, if any, on tri tri fishing, and the possibility that a single water source may be insufficient, highlighting the need to explore multiple sources.

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Transformation, Israel Bruce, also attended the consultation and was warmly welcomed by participants.

In his remarks, Minister Bruce thanked farmers for their warm welcome and emphasised the Government’s focus on the green economy as one of its four pillars for development.

The Minister highlighted several priorities to be immediately addressed, including: marketing (local, regional, and international) and pricing; tightening legislation, including stiffer penalties to address praedial larceny; revamping the Farmer ID registration system following receipt of a comprehensive report from the Farmer Support Company, which currently manages the system; a robust infrastructure programme to improve the condition of feeder roads; leveraging science and technology to increase youth and student involvement in agriculture; and ongoing consultations with farmers on various issues.

Farmers also expressed frustration and highlighted the need for solutions on a number of issues, including low produce prices; the imbalance of project investments, with most going to the windward side of the country and little to the leeward side; the need to regularise land titles; the need to update compensation rates for crop damage; and the need to shift from classroom-based training to more practical exercises.

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The information was sourced from a press release sent to us by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Transformation.