CDB’s US$12 million for innovative agriculture project in Jamaica

Published on April 20, 2026

The Board of Directors of the Caribbean Development Bank has approved additional financing of US$12 million to assist the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) in achieving full completion of the Southern Plains Agricultural Development (SPAD) Project, a flagship investment transforming climate-vulnerable farmland into resilient, productive agricultural hubs.

The supplementary financing comprises a concessional loan from CDB’s Special Development Fund (SDF). The support will address cost overruns driven by global supply chain disruptions following the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as well as the impacts of extreme weather events. It will close this remaining funding gap and enable the SPAD Project to finish by 2028.

The US$12 million in funding will directly support the final installation and commissioning of irrigation infrastructure at Amity Hall, construction of produce handling and packhouse facilities at Amity Hall in St. Catherine and Parnassus in Clarendon, as well as related engineering, supervision and project management costs.

It will also sustain farmer support services, including climate-smart on-farm irrigation equipment through a Matching Grant Scheme, training in Good Agricultural Practices and Climate Smart Agriculture, and systems for long term operation and maintenance.