DIGICEL is offering 50 farms, at Theford Great House in Old Harbour, St Catherine, to patrons at this weekend’s Denbigh Agricultural Show.

“Digicel will pay the lease for each plot of land for four months,” Tahnida Nunes, Digicel’s Sponsorship and Events manager told the Observer. Fertiliser and seeds — tomato, watermelon, carrot, sweet pepper, onion and pumpkin — would also be provided.

Nunes said that they are fully supportive of Denbigh’s subtheme, which is Opportunity and Technology-Drive. “Farmville Jamaica Live is a new and innovative farming programme that consists of different activities aimed at getting persons living in Jamaica and other countries involved in farming,” said Nunes.

Nunes said that this competition resulted from Digicel’s decade long contribution to Denbigh. She also said that the telecommunications company saw the programme as an opportunity to get young people active in farming when Farmville Jamaica Live Director, Tracy-Ann Lewis approached them.

The initiative, which began on July 18, and became official on August 28, allows Denbigh patrons to use Digicel’s technologies to monitor their crops.

Each winner gets the option to work his or her land or receive updates via ‘telemonitoring’, which entails having a designated farmer tend to the crop.

According to Nunes, this tech-support includes call, SMS and Digicel 4G Broadband services, which enables plot owners to access updates on farms.

She also said that they would make a formal announcement early next month directing participants how to enter. Farmville Jamaica Live will start in mid-July and end at the 2011 Denbigh Agricultural Show.