President of the Republic of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta heads a list of overseas dignitaries for the 67th staging of the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, which begins today on the outskirts of the Clarendon parish capital, May Pen, South Central Jamaica.
The event will run through August 6, Independence Day, at the Denbigh Showground under the theme: ‘Grow What You Eat…Eat What You Grow’, with the sub-theme: ‘Aligning farming decisions with climatic conditions’.
President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Lenworth Fulton, was quoted by the State’s news agency, Jamaica Information Service, that other foreign guests will include premier of the Cayman Islands, along with his chief minister for agriculture; the Chief Ministers of Agriculture from Belize and The Bahamas; and agricultural officials of the Barbados Agricultural Society.
Prime Minster Andrew Holness will host President Kenyatta and his delegation at Denbigh on Tuesday, which will feature an impressive showcase of Jamaican culture and performances by local artistes.
President Kenyatta will be paying a State visit to Jamaica from tomorrow, August 5 to 7.
Governor General Sir Patrick Allen will be the special guest on today’s opening day of Denbigh.
The highlight of the day will be the Champion Farmer competition, and activities will culminate with the Hi-Pro Denbigh Gospel Extravaganza.
Minister of Industry, Commerce Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw will be in attendance on Monday, which will feature the Youth in Agriculture Village and the crowning of the National Farm Queen.
Gates will open at 8:00 am daily and admission is $1,000 for adults and $500 for children.
Fulton was quoted as saying that the JAS has partnered with the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) to provide shuttle service to and from Denbigh at a cost of $1,400 for adults and $1,000 for children, round trip.
Buses will depart the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre and the Spanish Town Lay-By (Bus Terminus) at 8:00 am and 8:30 am, respectively, and depart Denbigh at 9:00 pm.
The Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, inaugurated in 1952, is the oldest, largest and has been described as the most dynamic agricultural show in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Organisers, the JAS, said that the main objectives of the event are: to promote the agricultural sector; display the best in food, livestock, and horticulture produced in Jamaica by parish; and highlight the importance of agriculture to the export sector and the national economy.
The show also demonstrates linkages with other critical sectors of the economy such as science and technology, research and development, tourism, entertainment, and finance.
