Building a Better Jamaica

Farmers' restaurant slated for showground
BY HG HELPS Editor-at-Large helpsh@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Courtesy of Jamaica Observer

The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) plans to commence a farmers' restaurant and monthly market at the Denbigh showground in Clarendon as part of its efforts to maximise use of the facility.

"We are looking forward to starting the once-a-month farmers' market and with that we are studying a proposal to open the headquarters of a farmers' restaurant, with a plan to have branches across Jamaica, where only locally produced foods will be sold," said the association's president Glendon Harris at Monday's last day of the 2010 Denbigh show. "The monthly farmers' market should start in another two months from now, but it may not be feasible for all JAS parish branches to participate, as it may not be cost effective to get produce here from parishes far away."

"We will have participation from all parish branches though," he said.

The JAS president said that the overall estimate of costs involved had not been finalised.

Over 1000 exhibitors and vendors crammed the Denbigh ground in muddy conditions between July 31 and August 2, to give patrons a sample of their wares. Of the number, a record 340 exhibitors set up booths advertising their products.

Harris said that efforts were being doubled to implement projects that the association agreed was needed to fully utilise the venue.

The facility is used to host the annual Denbigh Agricultural and Industrial show, but also accommodates offices of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the headquarters of the Jamaica 4H movement.

Harris told the Business Observer in an interview, and repeated some of his sentiments to the crowd attending the expo, that the JAS was moving swiftly to change its modus operandi as far as the ground was concerned.

"We are going to do much more for Denbigh," said Harris, the representative of the Maroon Town division in the St James Parish Council.

"We have been gradually utilising Denbigh and we have held things like the Women in Agriculture conference here and the next one like that will be regional," Harris said. "The annual general meeting (of the JAS) was held here, and we plan to have the second Youth in Agriculture Conference here later this year over two days, instead of one year last time.

"We are also going to be having farmers' residential training here and there are plans to develop the parish booths that they can use them as hostels all year round," Harris said.

The Denbigh show not only attracted thousands of Jamaica natives, but representatives of agriculture-based organisations drawn from Haiti, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, the Bahamas, Mexico, Canada, and the United States of America.

"Denbigh will not be forgotten until next year this time," Harris said. "We have activities planned that will ensure that Denbigh will always be buzzing.

"From the proceeds of Denbigh 2010, we will be investing in seedlings and seed material and we will be putting funds into a special account from which branches can borrow. We want to be a truly independent organisation where farmers can stand up and be recognised," Harris added.

Agriculture minister Dr Chris Tufton told the Business Observer in an interview after that officials of his ministry would be willing to sit with the JAS and devise ways in which the Denbigh ground could be better used.

"It is owned by the JAS, so they would have to decide, but it is underutilised and we would be happy to talk to them about how best it can be utilised," Tufton said before leaving for Canada.