STABEX - MOA

Project Name: Rehabilitation of parochial and farm access roads

Project Authority: Ministry of Agriclture

Duration: 2 Years

Implementation Date: March 2002

Total Project Cost: EUR 2,391,428 (J$ 95,657,120)

Sources of Funding: European Union: EUR 2,229,930 (J$ 89,197,200)

GOJ: EUR 161,498 (J$ 6,459,920)

The overall objectives to which STABEX 2000 Transfer will contribute are sustainable development and poverty alleviation in traditional banana growing parishes of Eastern Jamaica. The Project is fully in line with the Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ) poverty alleviation and agricultural support policies, the overall objective being to improve the standards of living of the rural poor.

The project purpose is to diversify and/or expand the agriculture production as well as its marketing opportunities in the project areas, through the rehabilitation of parochial and farm roads and market access for groups of small-scale farmers.

The road rehabilitation works supported by the 2000 Stabex Repayment will be implemented over the next two year in the parishes of Portland, St. Mary, St. Tomas and St. Andrew, which accommodate the largest concentration of poor rural small holders in Eastern Jamaica.

The basic activities of the 2000 Stabex Repayment will comprise the selection, survey, design, cost estimation, tendering, construction, supervision and follow-up for the rehabilitation of selected parochial and farm access roads. Further activities will include the group formation and management support and small-scale contractors and farmers training required for the continued operation and maintenance and sustained use of the roads. The following are the project activities:

Rehabilitate 28 km. of parochial and farm access roads in the traditional banana growing parishes of eastern Jamaica, viz:
Employ one local civil engineer (18 work months).
Undertake 80 training days of workshops and field demonstrations on group formation and management, construction management, and road maintenance and repair.

The beneficiaries’ contribution through labour and land, as well as cash where necessary, will be maximized during the design and implementation (with a minimum of 10% of total project costs as a requirement for selection). The farmers are also expected to undertake basic maintenance works on the roads (bushing of banks, cleaning of drains and culverts, filling of potholes, etc.) on completion of the rehabilitation works.

It is anticipated that the area under profitable agricultural production will increase by 320 hectares and the real income of participating farm households will increase by 25% within three years of the completion of the road rehabilitation works. These are the results of the Project as indicated below:

Farmer groups are operating more efficiently and market outlets for agricultural product have been improved;
- It is anticipated that 10 parochial and farm access roads (28 Km) will be rehabilitated to overcome constraints in the production and marketing of non-traditional export and domestic food crops. Five hundred and twenty (520) small-scale farm households will benefit from improved road access; and
- Fifteen (15) farmer groups for which market outlets have been identified will be established.
Farmer groups will be able to operate and maintain the rural road as

300 farmers will be trained in the maintenance and road repair.

The road rehabilitation works supported by the 2000 Stabex Repayment will be implemented under the on-going EU Eastern Jamaica Agricultural Support Project (EJASP, 8 ACP JM 005) for which an European Development Fund (EDF) contribution of 6,9 million euro was granted on 13 December 1999.

A Project Steering Committee (PSC), which will be created for the life of the 2000 Stabex Repayment, will be chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and meet quarterly or more frequently if required. The PSC will include, amongst others, representatives from the National Authorising Office of the EDF (The Planning Institute of Jamaica), Delegation of the European Commission, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Parish Councils, National Works Agency, farmer organisations and the EJASP Project Management Unit (PMU). The PSC will approve road rehabilitation proposals submitted by representatives of the EJASP/PMU.