PRESIDENT of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) Norman Grant says arrangements for this year’s staging of the annual Denbigh Agricultural and Industrial Show this weekend are bang on target.

At the same time, Grant told reporters, during a tour of the Denbigh facilities yesterday, that the August 27 general elections had not created any organisational obstacles for the yearly agriculture show.

However, he admitted that there would be a 75 per cent reduction in the number of official overseas guests expected at the show.

He said that while last year the show drew 100 official guests from regional countries, it was unlikely to draw more than 25 this year as most of them had opted out due to the elections and committed to return next year instead.

Grant said the JAS was happy with preparations for this year’s show.

“We are very upbeat and very enthused. We had concerns about the elections, but I am very happy that the prime minister didn’t call the elections before Denbigh,” Grant said.

He said that the show will cost the JAS about $25 million, of which $15 million in sponsorship has already been received.

“We are estimating to have more than 100,000 patrons and participants, and right now the show ground is fully booked,” the JAS head told reporters.

He said that the “green house” exhibition should be up by Friday, a shade house is already in place, and facilities for a poultry demonstration were almost completed.

Major events planned for this year are the renaming of the livestock pavilion in honour of Dr T P Lecky, livestock production pioneer; launch of an agricultural hall of fame on Saturday; and the breaking of ground for a 60-room guest house to be built on the showgrounds.