The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), alongside the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, officially commissioned the rehabilitated Newcombe Valley to Amos Lane Farm Road and delivered critical emergency recovery packages to fire-affected farming families across Pedro Plains.

Executed under the 2025/26 Farm Road Rehabilitation Programme at a cost of J$14.8 million, the project transformed a severely degraded 550-meter section of roadway with a heavy-duty asphalted concrete overlay, resolving major transit bottlenecks along a vital 1.66-kilometer agricultural corridor. The upgraded roadway directly safeguards the livelihoods of 50 local farming families cultivating over 38 hectares of land, protecting an estimated J$35 million in active crop and livestock enterprise value. The area services high-yield cultivations of peanuts, watermelons, tomatoes, beetroot, sweet peppers, cucumbers, cantaloupes, and honeydew, alongside livestock operations carrying 50 goats and 400 broilers. 

Acting Chief Executive Officer of RADA, Mr Garnet Edmondson, also highlighted that physical infrastructure must be paired with continuous technical extension support to build long-term farm resilience. 

“We can no longer ignore the effects of climate change. So the question therefore is not whether agriculture will be affected by climate change; it’s how quickly we can adjust the way we farm, so our farmers can continue to produce for the people of Jamaica,” Mr Edmondson noted. “We have come with practical support to help our farmers restart production by providing seeds, seedlings, fertiliser, irrigation supplies, and other assistance”.