Discovery Bauxite to develop 2.5-million-gallon pond for St Ann farmers

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In the Muir House district and the surrounding areas of northwest St Ann, farmers will be receiving benefits from a new storage pond with a capacity of 2.5 million gallons. This project is being initiated by Discovery Bauxite in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Mining, along with the Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA). For the project, the ground was broken on April 10 in the presence of the government officials and other related stakeholders.

The Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Franklin Witter, appreciated that the bauxite firm is taking an active role in contributing to the initiative. He also added that the new water storage facility will create additional value to the agriculture sector of the region.

Owing to this, Franklin Witter commented, "I represent communities in a constituency (St Elizabeth South East) similar to this one where farming is very important, and the provision of water is critical to the farmers, so I know the importance of this project and the bauxite company must be commended for its role in having it constructed."

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Attendees of the ceremony

The ceremony was graced by the presence of several notable figures, including Krystal Lee, the minister of state in the Ministry of Health and the member of Parliament for St Ann North Western; Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence from the St Ann Municipal Corporation; Kirk Evans, who serves as the deputy general manager of RADA; and Kent Skyers, the superintendent of public and community relations at Discovery Bauxite.

On the involvement of the bauxite firm, Lee emphasised that it was not only timely but also essential as this promises to create a positive impact on the region's farming, which is usually suffering because of the extended droughts.

She also highlighted that the firm has shown promptness in responding to the needs of farmers and the ministry to start the project, expressing gratitude by saying, “We are most appreciative of the company’s input.”

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Infrastructural support from Discovery Bauxite

The bauxite firm, at the moment, is working on the infrastructure, which is located on the restored land after bauxite mining was completed a few years back. Concerning this initiative, previously, Skyers, the superintendent of public and community relations at the firm, had mentioned that it has been dedicated to providing water solutions in communities like Muir House, many of which are located in bauxite-mining regions.

He further added that the firm has, so far, built four storage facilities, each of which holds the capacity of 3 million gallons, supporting 120 greenhouses, which are spread across four district clusters: Nine Miles, Watt Town, Tobolski and Burnt Ground.

He added, "We support the push by Agriculture and Mining Minister Honourable Floyd Green to utilise mined-out lands across the industry for water harvesting."

Additionally, Skyers also shared that the minister met with farmers at the Muir House site in 2024 to talk about the pond proposal, which led to the company and local residents jointly selecting the location.

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Owing to this, he stated, "We understand the importance of the project to the improvement of the livelihood of the residents, as the storage facility will be a game-changer for the farmers. They will be able to effectively plan their production activities with a new and reliable water supply."

Moreover, he mentioned that the bauxite firm is undergoing plans, which shall take place post the successful model of the Muir House project, engaging in developing five more ponds this year on reclaimed lands.

Benefiting the community

With this project, the farmers from Muir House, Woodland, Buxton Button, Jacob, Sheep Pen, Middle Buxton, and Kensington are expected to receive a great deal of benefits, as in the current scenario, they have been working in open fields and raising livestock.

Those who attended the ceremony, including the farmers, have high hopes about this development, seeing it as the realisation of a long-held dream.

Kemaro McAnuff of Muir House stated, "We have suffered from long periods of drought, and this area in particular is known as a dust bowl during the dry months. I was cautious, but when I saw the shovels and the crane on the ground to start the work, I knew that the programme is blessed, and we are grateful to the bauxite company and the government for this valuable contribution."

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