MONTEGO BAY, St James — Agriculture showgoers, including farmers, exhibitors and other stakeholders looking forward to the annual parish shows will most likely have to look forward to attending the Denbigh Show in Clarendon only, as all parish shows are expected to be cancelled following the devastation to crops caused by Hurricane Melissa.

The first casualty is the two-day Hague Agricultural and Industrial Show in Trelawny, which traditionally climaxes on Ash Wednesday. Other shows likely to be affected include the St Mary Agricultural Show and the Montpelier Agricultural Show, both held on Easter Monday; the Hanover Agricultural Show in May, and the Westmoreland Agricultural Show in June.

Speaking to the Jamaica Observer last weekend, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) Owen Dobson said that while no final announcement has been made, all indications are that Denbigh, held in August, will be the only agricultural show for 2026.

“So far everything is on hold right now. But basically, we may just concentrate on the Denbigh show. We are awaiting some confirmation,” Dobson said.

“Remember that the farmers are devastated. The Government is trying to put back the farmers on [their feet] … because without the farmers up and running it’s hard to support shows, get sponsors, and things like that. So I believe for this year all the shows could be off besides Denbigh,” he added.

Dobson added that from the JAS perspective, parish shows are not currently a priority.

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green concurred, saying the JAS is still reviewing the situation, but confirmed that the main focus is ensuring that Denbigh goes ahead.

“I think the JAS is reviewing all the shows. Clearly the focus is on Denbigh, to ensure that there is an excellent Denbigh this year,” he said. “I don’t think a final decision has been made on all the shows, but I know that the JAS is contemplating, has been looking at each show, but the focus is on ensuring that Denbigh happens and happens in a big way.“

He noted that beyond crop losses, there are also logistical challenges in preparing show grounds after the hurricane, which hit Jamaica on October 28, 2025.

“Speaking to most people I think there is a significant understanding that it would have been challenging even just to get the grounds figured out. Sometimes it is not just the produce, it is about what goes into preparing the place and having it ready for an event like an agricultural show. And most people I have spoken with have a significant degree of understanding,” Green explained. “We just have to continue to work with the farmers, continue to work with associations, and look forward to next year.”

For his part, president of the St James branch of the JAS Glendon Harris said while there is still hope at the parish level for other shows, the decision rests with the ministry.

“I want to see if we can get [our show] going but I have to hear from the minister first. They are saying that they are concentrating on getting the farmers back together,” Harris said.

Harris argued that if the show is not held this year it will be more challenging to stage a show next year as the field will be more difficult to prepare, as missing one year would mean losing regular maintenance, leading to heavier work and greater difficulty in getting the venue ready.

President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society Owen Dobson.