YOUTH IN Agriculture will be the highlight at the 51st annual Denbigh Agri-Industrial Show which gets under way today in Denbigh, Clarendon.
And according to Brigette Williams, co-ordinator of the Youth in Agriculture Schools' Agricultural Programme, several related activities have been planned.
The show, which begins at 10:00 a.m., will feature competitions in gardening, food technology, public speaking and young champion farmer as well as the coronation of the National Farm Queen. The Youth in Agriculture Programme was established in 1990 to mobilise more youth to engage in agricultural practices.
BENEFITS
Under the programme, participating schools benefit from a revolving loan of $25,000. The money is used to establish a garden or farm. Miss Williams, the 2001 National Farm Queen, said that of the 200 schools registered under the programme since 1990, more than 60 have benefited from loans and more than $4 million has been realised in revenue from the gardens and farms.
Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica Isao Otsuka, Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke, and J.C. Hutchinson, the Opposition spokesman on Agriculture, are scheduled to speak at the opening ceremony today. Gilbert McLean, Guyana's Minister of Agriculture, will bring greetings.
The Denbigh Agri-Industrial show dubbed 'Save Jamaica's Agriculture - buy local products' - will end on Sunday.
