NIC Prepares for 72nd Denbigh Agricultural Show

The National Irrigation Commission Limited (NIC) is preparing to participate in the 72nd Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, scheduled for July 31 to August 2 at the Denbigh Showground in May Pen, Clarendon.

Public Relations Specialist at the NIC, Christeen Forbes, told a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’ that the show will be the first of its kind to return since the passage of Hurricane Melissa last year, highlighting the resilience of farmers and the agricultural sector.

“All the other [shows] were postponed indefinitely, so we expect Denbigh is going to be big. What we know as players in the agricultural sector is that our farmers are the real heroes, and they’re very resilient,” she said.

“After Melissa, I went to St. Elizabeth, maybe two days after, and I witnessed a lot of farmers in the field searching for drip hoses, planting seedlings, and that really just demonstrates the resilience of the farmers,” Ms. Forbes added.

The NIC is planning to have an exhibition area at Denbigh where patrons will be able to learn more about irrigation services and the role of water in agricultural production.

“Our key function is to provide water to farmers every single day. So, we really consider ourselves to be the heartbeat of the agricultural sector, because without water, there can really be no production,” Ms. Forbes said.

She noted that the NIC will also be engaging with non-customers who are interested in accessing its irrigation services.

“You can come down to our exhibition and learn how you can become a customer [and] you can start the application process… and understand the different services that we provide,” she said.

The NIC’s services include open canal systems, pipelines, water filling stations and water trucking in areas where there is no physical irrigation infrastructure.

“How this works is that farmers can take their water truck and go to the water filling station and purchase water and take it back to their farm. The pipeline and the open canal system, in St. Elizabeth and Trelawny…you can call our offices and request water, and then our water trucks will deliver it to your farms,” Ms. Forbes said.

The NIC Denbigh exhibition will also focus on efficient irrigation and responsible water management.

“We want our farmers and every Jamaican to be efficient in how they’re using water. Whether they are customers or not, we understand the importance of managing water [as] we’re in a climate crisis,” Ms. Forbes said.

“Our team will be there, and we’re ready and waiting to interact with everyone about irrigation [and] learning about the major irrigation projects that will transform how we do agriculture across Jamaica. We want to invite everyone to come to Denbigh and to ensure that you don’t leave Denbigh without coming to NIC,” she added.

The NIC will also be sponsoring Tishuria Clarke in the National Farm Queen Competition, hosted by the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) as part of the annual show.

“We’re very happy to support any initiative that promotes youth in agriculture and, of course, promotes women in agriculture,” Ms. Forbes said.