Big turnout expected at Denbigh agri show
THE Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) is expecting up to 90,000 patrons to pass through this year’s Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, which opens tomorrow in May Pen, Clarendon.
With more than 250 exhibitors, it is projected that some $500 million will change hands over the three days.
First vice-president of the JAS and chairman of the Denbigh Planning Committee, Senator Norman Grant, says the show is one of the largest exhibitions of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.
“When you critically analyse the extent to which it has built up over the last nine years, it represents the largest show of its kind in the Caribbean and, possibly, in the Western Hemisphere,” Senator Grant said.
He noted that since its 50th anniversary in 2002, the show’s budget has moved from $6 million to $50 million.
“We are now attracting a number of overseas patrons, including delegates from other Caribbean islands such as the Bahamas, members of the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN) and visitors from the United Kingdom and Canada,” he stated.
The 59th staging of the show will be consistent with the ‘Grow What We Eat, Eat What We Grow,’ campaign “but there will be a special focus on technology”, Senator Grant explained.
He pointed out that the objective of Denbigh is to bring into sharp focus the need for developing countries, like Jamaica, to invest more in agriculture, as a part of the strategy to repositioning its economy.