Attractive Prizes for Parish Pavilion Competition at Denbigh ’08

A major highlight of the Denbigh Agricultural and Industrial show this year is the Parish Pavilion competition, which allows all parishes to mount displays showcasing their offerings and vie for prizes.
Speaking with JIS News, President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Senator Norman Grant pointed out that parishes will compete for the Rudolph Burke and Percy Broderick trophies and a chance to win $200,000, up from $62,000 last year.
Additionally, he informed that each parish has received a mobilization fund of $75,000 to re-arrange, beautify, and do all the preparations for the show which will run from August 1 to 3 at the Denbigh Show Grounds in May Pen, Clarendon.
The President said that the pavilions will be judged by a panel of six judges who will examine how best the displays co-relate with the theme; the involvement of youth, women, and the community; and the use of technology and agri-processing.
“There is another segment of the competition where the parishes will take products that are produced in their parish and compete in the general pavilion (competition) and there are categories as to who can produce the best cassava, pumpkin, or bunch of bananas,” Senator Grant explained.
In keeping with this year’s theme: “Grow what you Eat.Eat what you grow’, the JAS President noted that designated areas will be set up in the parish pavilions and a stand-alone tent on the show grounds where patrons will be able to purchase fresh agricultural produce on each day of the show.
The Denbigh show, Senator Grant stated, is a means to further emphasize the importance of having the country feed itself, especially in light of the world food crisis.
“It is important that we say to all Jamaicans that the time has come for us to increase our production of local agricultural produce. What you will see at Denbigh is a consolidation of our enthusiasm and our total determination to say to all Jamaica, as we face these challenges, that one of the viable options is to grow what we eat, eat what we grow and support our Jamaican farmers,” Senator Grant said.
The Denbigh Agricultural & Industrial Show is a hallmark event that has been embedded in the unique culture and the broad fabric of the Jamaican farmer from as early as 1953. The show has been staged by the JAS as part of the country’s Independence and Emancipation celebrations.