Spotlight on Organic Farming at Denbigh

Organic farming and food security will be the focus of this year’s symposium at the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show.

The event will be hosted by Jamaica Diaspora Agriculture Task Force (JDATF) in partnership with the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS).

Addressing a JIS Think Tank recently, President of the JAS, Norman Grant, said the symposium will offer training, technical demonstration and interactive presentations under the theme: ‘Grow What You Eat…Eat What You Grow Through Climate Smart Agriculture’.

According to Mr. Grant, attendees at the symposium, which will take the form of workshops, will be exposed to techniques in sustainable farm practices, intercropping, organic farming, planning for drought, and marketing.

The JDATF was convened at the 6^th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference in 2015.

It aims to make a positive impact on Jamaica’s agricultural sector by promoting and accelerating organic and sustainable farming practices, bolstering food security and creating new markets for Jamaican farmers.

First held in 2013, the symposium seeks to increase the awareness of stakeholders within the agricultural sector about the critical issues affecting production, trade and marketing of agricultural and agri-based products.

Mr. Grant said that the main objectives of the annual symposium are to enable discourse, and facilitate interaction and linkages.

Another highlight of the Denbigh 2016 is the Youth in Agriculture Village, sponsored by the Jamaica 4-H Clubs under the subtheme: ‘My Dream: Agropreneurship’. “The theme was chosen in an effort to highlight the entrepreneurial opportunities that are in the agricultural sector to the young people,” Mr. Grant said.

Major participants in the Youth in Agriculture Village are College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE): HEART Trust/NTA Ebony Park; Northern Caribbean University (NCU); Knox College; Church Teachers’ College and the Council of Community Colleges in Jamaica.

The Youth in Agriculture Village seeks to promote and develop excellence in agriculture among young people, and to create an awareness of the need to grow the sector through educational activities, competitive events and school garden programmes.

The 64^th staging of the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show will be held from July 30 to August 1 on the Denbigh Showground in Clarendon.

Gates will open daily at 8:00 a.m. and admission is $900 on day one and $1,000 on days two and three for adults, and $400 for children on all three days