For the second consecutive year, hundreds of Denbigh patrons joined the queue to spin the wheel for a chance to enter the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture & Fisheries VIP OASIS presented by JBDC at the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show held on August 4 – 6, 2018. The highlight of each day featured official tours by the Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen, Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Honourable Audley Shaw, President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, Mr. Norman Grant and President-elect Mr. Lenworth Fullerton, along with their respective delegations.
Strategically placed at ringside, the VIP Oasis showcased innovative value-added products utilising local agricultural resources to tantalise the senses within the context of cultural cuisine and wellness. Patrons experienced the taste, smell, sight and touch of the inputs of the vibrant agricultural sector – the life-blood of the country. In keeping with the Ministry’s focus, the booth highlighted crops such as Sweet Potato, Irish Potato, Cacao, Strawberry, Pineapple and Mango.
The booth featured a Kitchen Café with samples of Jamaica Harvest products, a Cocktail Lounge where mixology meets agriculture, a Spa experience inclusive of massages with local oils, the Things Jamaican™ pop-up store, and a Business Lounge which hosted presentations on Organic Farming, Youth in Agriculture, Revving up the Mango Industry, Wellness & Fitness under the theme ‘Grow what we eat, Eat what we grow’.
Deputy CEO of the JBDC, Mr. Harold Davis says the VIP OASIS is a testament to the linkages between agriculture and manufacturing. “We take seriously our mandate to build the MSMSE sector by consistently bridging the various gaps in business development. Agriculture is big business and we want our farmers to recognize that and cease the many opportunities which exist in areas like manufacturing and tourism. Our own Jamaica Harvest brand consists of a variety of flours made from breadfruit, pumpkin, plantain, sweet potato, banana and cassava, granola cereals and bars made from yam and sweet potato, as well as spices – all grown and processed by Jamaican entrepreneurs, now on the Things Jamaican™ shelves.
JBDC extends heartfelt gratitude to its partners: Creative Media & Events, National Solid Waste Management Authority, Clear Sounds, Bamboo Jamaica, Rural Agricultural Development Authority, Bar Code, Portland Authentic Jerk, A Taste of the Caribbean, Sammi’s Gourmet Delight, Mount Pleasant Farms, EG Wellness, Journey’s End, Jeffrey Town Farmers Association, PROPEL, Irie Vibes Enterprise, Nu-Body Solutions and O’Shane Bryant Fitness.