Shagoury slams cheating in Denbigh parish competitions

Outgoing Clarendon Custos William Shagoury on Sunday poured scorn on the popular Parish Pavilion Competition at the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show, suggesting that dishonesty has resulted in the essence of the contest being lost.

Shagoury lashed out a what he said was now a practice by entrants to purchase items from outside their respective parishes to place in their displays instead of showing off what has been produced in each locale in the 12 months leading up to the show.

“I know there are some people who might not agree with me, [but] I do not support the parish competitions,” Shagoury said in his farewell address at the popular events staged in his parish.

“If you ask the RADA (Rural Agricultural Development Authority) managers, it is incredibly difficult and stressful for all parties involved to source produce for display,” he said, triggering an round of applause from patrons.

Speaking with The Gleaner following his presentation, Shagoury condemned the practice.

“We need to show what we grow and not buy things outside of the parish or borrow from another parish to put in your pavilion. To me, it is totally wrong and not necessary, and most of the parish managers agree,” he said.

“It does not really show the true thing that is happening in the parish,” he said, pointing to one western parish to illustrate his point.

“[That parish] doesn’t really produce that amount of vegetables and thing, so then they have to go out and buy it, so to me, it is not just to have it because you’re really not being fair. ... It is very unnecessary because we can put on a very good competition among ourselves for what we grow in our parish,” he said.

The Parish Pavilion Competition is a major highlight of the island’s largest agricultural show as the parishes compete for the Rudolph Burke championship trophy, named in honour of the first Jamaican president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS). Other awards include the Percy Broderick trophy and sectional winners.

In the past, parishes had been given mobilisation funds to rearrange, beautify and do all the preparations for the show.

Clarendon topped this year’s contest, with St James and Trelawny adjudged first and second runners-up, respectively.

On the brink of his retirement, Shagoury also urged organisers of the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show to make the event more attractive and utilise the Denbigh Showground more often.

“The arena needs to be abuzz with activities throughout the year and create much-needed income for the people of Clarendon. We must utilise Denbigh to its fullest potential, and unleash this venue’s generating potential. Right before we had the COVID, we were getting a team together to do just that. A team of very high-level people with know-how about agriculture and then COVID came and just dismantled it, so we have to go back to that again,” he said.

Nevertheless, the custos said he was thrilled at the return of the English-speaking Caribbean’s largest agricultural fair after the pandemic forced a two-year break.

Before the onset of the pandemic, the event would see up to 80,000 patrons turning out annually.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com