FARMERS should be able to “grow” solar power in their fields in the same way as other crops, the Environment Minister has said during a speech in which he highlighted the growing use of technology in agriculture.
Deputy Steve Luce, who was one of two members of the Council of Ministers to address the 2025 Jersey Farming Conference, said that a proposed solar farm in St Martin presented a “wonderful opportunity” for the Island to play its part in combatting climate change.
“The site could become a European centre of excellence, showing how we could be helping farmers, and producing sustainable energy, by enabling research and education to happen at the same time,” he said. “In combining the latest agrivoltaics, solar technologies, and innovations, Jersey could well end up leading on this type of agricultural initiative.”
Jersey Electricity is looking to turn Crown Land at Belle Fontaine into a centre for research and education combining agrivoltaics – the dual use of land for energy generation and farming – and solar technology, working with Harper Adams, the UK’s leading university for food production and agriculture technology.
A public consultation took place in September, although it is understood that the project is not yet close to the stage where it will be considered by the Planning Committee.
Deputy Luce, who represents the electoral district of Grouville and St Martin, added: “While I accept that these proposals will not be agreed by everyone in the parish, or across the Island, I really hope that we will look back in years to come and see that we did the right thing, and play our part in showing others how it’s possible to transition to a carbon-free and sustainable future.”
He cited other technological innovations in the sector, including the use of GPS in tractors, meteorological monitoring equipment to help counter potato blight and cleaning robots utilised in the dairy industry.
Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel was the other ministerial speaker at the conference, which took place at La Mare Wine Estate in St Mary and was also streamed online.
Deputy Morel praised the sector for successful efforts to increase productivity, which he said had risen from £39,000 per full-time employee in 2019 to almost £60,000 today. This latter figure was almost twice the equivalent mark for the UK, he added.
More still needed to be done, Deputy Morel admitted, to help the sector, with per-capita funding for farming in Jersey remaining below the levels seen in most neighbouring jurisdictions.
More than £10 million in funding would be provided in 2026, he said, including a new online portal for the Rural Support Scheme, a streamlined approval process for agricultural loans, and increased investment in the Cultivate Programme to create rural apprenticeships and training opportunities for young Islanders.
