The 58th annual Denbigh Agri-Industrial show was recently held in Clarendon, so as a result there’ve been several agriculture related stories coming out of Jamaica. Here are a few of them:
Governor General calls on Jamaica to emancipate themselves from foreign foods:
As the country celebrates 176 years of Emancipation from slavery, Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, is calling on Jamaicans to free themselves of the belief that only foods from overseas are good and best for consumption.
He said that Jamaica will never fully experience the joys of emancipation until “we fully subscribe to the motto: ‘Eat what we grow, Grow what we eat’”.
Teenager aims to pursue a career in agri-science:
Having always shown an interest in the sciences, 18-year-old Oshea Nelson has developed a knack for agricultural science and intends on pursuing this as her career.
Nelson graduated from Albert Town High School in Trelawny and works as a lab technician for the Christiana Potato Growers Co-operative Association Limited.
She beams with confidence and enthusiasm when explaining how she raises ground provisions in test tubes.
Jamaicans urged to try aquaponics:
Farmers are being encouraged to take up methods utilising the use of long-term relationships between fish and vegetables as sustainable agricultural practices.
…
Aquaponics is the cultivation of crops and other plants while relying on the symbiotic relationship between aquatic creatures, such as fish and plants. Fish waste happens to be nutritious to plants.
Backyard farming is also being encouraged:
Square-foot gardening, according to Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) extension officer for St Thomas, Norman Haughton, is an easy solution for persons who have the drive to grow crops but have no outdoor space.
“When people see things, they’ll buy into it and believe it,” Haughton said.
Those who attended the 58th Denbigh Agri-Industrial Show in Clarendon had access to backyard-farming tips as well as had their questions answered by experts from RADA and Jamaica Agricultural Society.
And the Prime Minister has called on the private sector to invest more in Jamaican agriculture:
Prime Minister Bruce Golding yesterday challenged the private sector to broaden its investment portfolio in agriculture, claiming the timing is right, with opportunities aplenty.
Delivering the main address at the closing ceremony for the 58th Denbigh Agricultural and Industrial Show in Clarendon, Golding said agriculture was the new frontier and not the old rickety area it has long been viewed as.
Click the links to read more of each of the articles quoted.
[Photo: jamaicapage.com]
