Additional money for drought programme

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green has announced the injection of an additional $60 million into the national drought mitigation programme, to assist farmers navigating the severe dry spell impacting the country.

This is in addition to the $149-million drought mitigation strategy the minister previously announced, based on projections from the Meteorological Service of Jamaica. This allocation will focus on immediate relief, as well as long-term water management solutions. Green stated that $20 million will be used for trucking water to the farmers, and the bigger portion will be used to provide storage and drip irrigation support, as well as build catchment ponds.