Youth in Agriculture Village for St. Mary Agri-Expo on April 1

Patrons attending the St. Mary Agri-Expo on Monday, April 1, will experience the addition of a Youth in Agriculture Village.

This year’s activities will be held under the theme ‘Nourishing our future; Safeguarding farms, ensuring food security’.

President of the St. Mary Associate Branch Society, the parish arm of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, Fabian Rhule, said this year’s show, the 36th staging, will be bigger.

“One of our main features this year is a Youth in Agriculture Village. We are inviting most of our high schools and some of our primary schools from around St. Mary to come out with their agriculture and agro-processing displays. We want to make it one of our main features, to encourage our youth in agriculture,” he told JIS News.

Attendees can also expect to see livestock displays as well as the livestock competition for farmers in the parish.

“We will have cows and small ruminants such as sheep and goats on display as well as a cattle competition. This year, we’ll be looking at champion pig farmers and we will have the greased pig competition as one of the highlights of the day. For that competition, we will have three or four pigs and put them in a ring with some children. Then we grease the pigs with oil and allow the kids to try to catch them. Once they catch the pig, they get to take it home,” he said.

The event, which begins at 8:00 a.m. will be held at the JP Farms Sports Complex, formerly known as the Grays Inn Sports Complex.

Mr. Rhule said patrons can also expect the annual horticultural display and farmers’ market.

“It will be a lovely day to buy your plants and produce from our farmers and to interact. We’re catering for our families, senior citizens and for everybody. The kids will have the kiddies village, which they will definitely love. It will be a space where the family can come out and enjoy,” he said.

“Because it is near Kingston, we’re inviting our Kingston patrons over. We will also have in the evening a gospel concert with a popular gospel artiste. So, I’m encouraging everyone to come out and support us and support our farmers,” Mr. Rhule added.

For further details, persons can contact the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) at 876-922-0610.