Agrofest set for May 14 at Jamaica College

The 20^th staging of Agrofest will be held on Saturday, May 14 on the grounds of Jamaica College, Old Hope Road.

The event will see more than 40 exhibitors from Kingston and St. Andrew displaying a range of goods for the hundreds of patrons expected to attend.

Addressing the recent launch of Agrofest 2016, President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Norman Grant, said the annual agricultural show not only creates a market for the farmers in Kingston and St. Andrew, but it also celebrates the importance of farmers to the development of both parishes.

There are 6,670 registered farmers in Kingston and St. Andrew and they accounted for 1.7 per cent of the 571,000 metric tonnes of produce in 2015.

Mr. Grant pointed out that over the years, Agrofest has made an invaluable contribution to the development of the local economy, while encouraging more young people to choose agriculture as a career option.
He added that one of the objectives of the show is to sensitise the nation to the profound national, community and personal benefits to be garnered from the ongoing JAS campaign “to grow what we eat and to eat what we grow.”

Some features of the show are: a farmers’ market; Police Mounted Troop Exhibition; Guardsman Canine Display; the Jamaica 4-H Clubs Public Speaking Competition;  the JAS ‘Eat Jamaican’ Cook-off Competition; Farm Queen Competition; JAS Branch Competition; Champion Coffee Farmer Competition; Small Ruminants Display and a Kiddies Village.

Gates will open at 8:00 a.m. and the official opening ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.  The admission fees are: adults $500 and children $100.

Agrofest will be hosted by the Kingston and St. Andrew Association of Branch Societies of the JAS, in association with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries; Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), St. Andrew; the Jamaica 4-H Clubs and the Mavis Bank Coffee Factory.