Hugh Martin THE DENBIGH Show, long accepted as one of the major national events on our calendar, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. How time has flown. I was there on that first occasion, trucked with another 40-odd nine to 12 year-olds from Alva Elementary School in the hills of St. Ann. Most of those other kids now live in all parts of the world, certainly on four of the continents and in the Caribbean. A few have made the transition to the 'other world', including a dear sister.
What made the event historic for us was not that it marked the first Denbigh Show. We were there, not to see the newest tropically developed dairy breed of cattle in the world, the Jamaica Hope, (June 1952). Nor did we go to see the earlier declared beef breeds, the Jamaica Brahman (1949) nor the Jamaica Red (December 1951) nor even the latest, the Jamaica Black (July 1952). We didn't go to Denbigh to look with awe at the great Dr. T. P. Lecky, the man who was credited with the development of these new breeds of cattle, an achievement that astonished the rest of the world. We knew nothing of that. We didn't know either about the marvellous work being done by Sam Motta on grasses even if a couple of us may have heard about pangola.
Not at all. We went to see Her Royal Highness, Princess Margaret, the younger sister of our new Queen, Elizabeth II, recently crowned on the death of their father, King George VI. I remember seeing the princess and hearing her speak in her (to me then) strange accent. But I have no more recollection of the first Denbigh experience except for one that has no relevance here.
What is relevant about that trip by a truckload of students from a deep rural community 50 years ago is the fact that the organisers, the JAS, plan to bus (or truck) to this 50th renewal, school children from all over the country. This will be on the second day of the show, Monday August 5. The day, falling awkwardly between a weekend and Independence Day, (Tuesday, August 6) is seen as a dead day for a three-day show. Remember that traditionally it enjoyed the Independence weekend climaxing on the Monday, Independence Day. This day will be dubbed Youth In Agriculture Day and is designed to encourage the youth to see agriculture as a viable career path.
Maybe the theme, "Meeting the Global Challenge Through Technology in Agriculture" will encourage this later generation to develop some interest in agriculture.
I hope they are not being encouraged to attend because some foreign dignitary will be speaking. I hope they will be told about Dr. T.P. Lecky and Dr. Karl Wellington in animal breeding; about Mr. Sam Motta and Dr. Dinsdale McLeod in pasture management; Dr. Lyndon McLaren and Dr. Aston Wood in animal nutrition; Messrs. Ivan Tomlinson, Conan Barrett, and Hopeton Fraser in agricultural extension; Mr. Jack Muschette in pig husbandry; Mr. Glen Henry and Mr. Derrick Vermont in goat production; Messrs. Clinton McGann, Aubrey Taylor and Dalkeith Hanna, National Champion Farmers; Mesdames Edna Lawrence and Thelma King and Mr. Rudolph Burke, farm leaders; Messrs. Shirley Brown, Juan P. Bunting and Billy MacPherson in Dairying. And - well...
Those are just a few of the names of individuals who have made significant contributions to the agricultural sector in their chosen fields. There are many others who can be presented to the youth as role models, men and women who have demonstrated time and time again that in agriculture one can find numerous opportunities for success. Unfortunately, the image of the farmer that is most often projected is one of a shabbily attired half wit toting a machete and a hoe over the shoulder and walking behind a donkey.
The Denbigh Show has done much to improve the image of those who choose to make agriculture their business whether as farmer, scientist, educator, marketer, or manager. By providing the arena for friendly competition in the various disciplines outstanding performances have been exhibited year after year as the contestants try to outdo each other. It is no wonder that the show has become, over the years, the biggest crowd-puller of all the events at our Independence celebrations. Indeed, none of the other sectors has been able to put on anything to compare with the Denbigh Show.
Every year the JAS promises that this will be the biggest and best show ever. There have been a few times when they have delivered. By and large though there has been a sameness to the shows that in spite of the brilliance of some of the displays regular attendees oftentimes leave with a sense bordering on boredom. This being the 50th anniversary we are told that a show befitting the historic occasion has been planned. Coinciding as it does with the 40th anniversary of our Independence the JAS must know that nothing but the best will be accepted.
Corporate Jamaica has always supported the show and this year is no different with two new companies coming on board with donations of $500,000 each. A number of other companies are contributing in cash and kind in excess of $300,000 each. With the major input of the Ministry of Agriculture and the organisational partnership of RADA the JAS should be starting the show with a profit. We hope that that fact alone will enable them to put on a show that will indeed prove to be the biggest and the best, to mark this Golden Jubilee.
Hugh Martin is a communications specialist and farm broadcaster. E-mail: humar@cwjamaica.com.
