St. Elizabeth:

Farmers of the Beacon/Little Park Water Users Association, an entity which operates in the Pedro Plains area of south St. Elizabeth, eagerly await the official commissioning of an irrigation project this week by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

The project forms part of the Government's National Irrigation Development Plan, which is being spearheaded by the National Irrigation Commission (NIC), with a view of increasing farmer participation in the agricultural sector.

The project also complements the Government's long-term agricultural development plan up to the year 2015, by which time it is projected that some 6,900 farming families will have benefited directly from three major projects being undertaken by the NIC and its partners.

Speaking about the expected impact of the project on his livelihood, farmer Winston Sinclair, said he was quite happy that water could now be accessed around the clock.

"I think that this is a good thing as the majority of the time, the lack of water is what is our biggest problem and if you have the water, you can go through, as once the produce come, we can always find sale for it," he said.

Mr. Sinclair added that he expected quite a few more persons to get involved in farming once the water is fully turned on.

"Then the challenge will be how best to organise in terms of deciding which members of the group will grow what specific crop, as we don't want a situation where we create a glut and the price falls as a result," he said.

Technology makes difference

Mr. Sinclair noted that the use of technology, such as drip irrigation, was bound to make a "significant difference", as it reduces production costs in the long run.

"My view is that the drip will lead to less fertiliser costs as the application is much more specific. Another advantage of having a constant water supply is that I will not have to worry about getting up to move the sprinkler in the night," he said.

- Contributed