The National Irrigation Commission Limited (NIC) was established in 1986 and became operational in May 1987. Its main objectives are to manage, operate, maintain and expand such existing and future irrigation schemes and systems as may now or hereafter be established by the Government of Jamaica, or by any Department or Agency. In short, the NIC’s main role is to distribute irrigation water to the agricultural sector in Jamaica.

 

 

NIC’s operations are divided into three (3) regions, Easter, Central and Western, all of which combined make up seven (7) major irrigation and drainage schemes. They are:-

 

·     Eastern Region—St. Catherine Irrigation District (Rio Cobre & St. Dorothy), St. Thomas District, Phillipsfield

 

·     Central Region—Mid-Clarendon District

 

·     Western Region—St. Elizabeth District (Hounslow, and the Black River Upper Morass areas) and Braco District (Trelawny)

 

NIC now obtains its authority from the Irrigation Amendment Act, 1999.

 

The service which the National Irrigation Commission Limited (NIC) provides, reaches a wide cross section of  customers. These include large and small farmers, National Water Commission  (NWC), sugar producers and manufacturing enterprises.