Irrigation Project at Indian Castle

Consistent with national development priorities, the Nevis Department of Agriculture has allocated 90 acres of land at Indian Castle Estate for agriculture where farmers are allocated plots of 1 - 2 hectares. When fully operational, the output from this collective will exceed the demand from both the fresh fruit and processed fruit market in Nevis; and excess production can be exported to regional markets such as St. Maarten and Anguilla.

In Nevis, the greatest cost and the most limiting factor to agricultural productivity is water. Many farmers have had to rely on potable water for farm use, which is increasingly economically unsustainable. The problem is exacerbated by increasing incidences of drought.

The project improves farmers’ access to water on 35 acres of land at Indian Castle Estate and includes the drilling of 1 new deep production well, the installation of pumps, and distribution lines for direct connections to all farms in the area.