Westmoreland Agricultural Show to reignite passion for farming

WESTERN BUREAU:

Organisers of this year’s Westmoreland Agricultural Show will be emphasising the use of technology in farms as they seek to inspire more youth to pursue careers or ventures in agriculture.

The show, which will be staged at the Manning School in Savanna-la-Mar on Sunday, May 28, has the full endorsement of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) and is being held under the theme ‘Grow Smart, Eat Smart’. It is premised on the idea of producing more of the foods that are eaten locally, which will ultimately help to reduce the nation’s food import bill.

The larger aim is to restore agriculture and farming to pride of place in the parish’s economy, which once centred on growing sugar cane for producing sugar and its by-products. With hospitality/tourism now the major industry, areas like Negril in the parish have instead emerged as premier tourist resort towns.

Owen Dobson, president of the Westmoreland branch of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, speaking at the launch of the show at the Hotel Commingle in Savanna-la-Mar recently, summed up that the show will be used as the engine to help farmers expand their cultivation, as well as be a platform to persuade the parish’s youth to look to farming as a viable option to generate wealth and prosperity.

NEW VISION

Over the past 17 years, the parish has been outperformed by other parishes at the annual Denbigh Agricultural Show.

With the new vision for agriculture in the parish, Dobson is confident that Westmoreland is now ready to reclaim a place as one of the nation’s top parishes in agriculture.

“We now have the formula for success. It is this same passion that we are putting into this year’s staging of the Westmoreland Agricultural Show,” said Dobson.

Reverend Hartley Perrin, custos of Westmoreland and the patron of this year’s show, says there is an urgent need for better support for farmers and those who are considering exploring the concept of farming.

“I appeal to everyone, particularly our youths, who have not yet caught the vision to get on board to start embracing the business of farming,” said Perrin. “And I am calling on the Government to make lands available in the same way that they make lands available for hotel buildings and tourism. We want to see land (being made) available for our farming and agricultural endeavours.”

As a way of further sparking interest among young persons, the organisers have decided to grant free access to students up to the secondary level. The event is endorsed by the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bamboo BioProducts, Growers Choice, JN Bank, Icon Import and Distributors, H & L Agro, and the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation.