Hague Agricultural Show 2012 – A Tremendous Success
February 23, 2012 in Event by Brian Elliott
Hague Agricultural Show 2012 – A Tremendous Success
The 57th staging of the Hague Agricultural Show at the Hague Agricultural Showground near Falmouth was a tremendous success and the organizers should be lauded for putting on such a good show.
What was most important about this years show, was the legacy of last year. The show was gradually declining each year and last year went down as the worst Hague Show in history to the point where then Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton was pushed to make this statement:
“I am still not convinced that enough effort is going into the organization of these shows to ensure that it is truly an agricultural event and that it is exposing the farmers efforts, encouraging potential consumers to be a part of it… partake in it, promoting best practices. I am still not convinced and today’s show and the organization reflect that. Therefore I am going to make the call again for a review of these agricultural shows”
This year, the turnout was excellent, but the most impressive aspect was the organization. There were more display booths this year, based under neatly laid out tents. Gone were the many unsightly bamboo stalls that looked tacky and untidy. The exhibits were also of a higher quality and were from diverse sources: from government organizations, to big and small companies to small entrepreneurs. Hague Agricultural Show 2012
The police were obviously in charge of this show and they kept the main road free (for most of the day) from the many vendors who (in previous years) laid out their wares along the roadway, causing congestion. There was free flow of pedestrian traffic.
Police presence was also evident at the main car park. In previous years, hustlers set up small barriers and charge for parking. This year, the police took control and parking was hassle free.
Agricultural produce was heavily displayed this time around and it was good to see the many people buying the produce and the derived products. There were also more animals on display than in the past few years.
For recreation, there was a dedicated kids area with more attractions than ever. Kids could ride all the rides all day for $1500 with prices from $100 to $150 for individual rides. This was the largest and most organized we have seen the kids’ attractions.
For some reason, there were less food stalls this year, which means each stall on an average, made more profit. One thing that was in short supply was roasted yam. At a show like Hague Agricultural Show, many folks, like myself, wish to eat something that we don’t get everyday, something truly Jamaican like roasted South Trelawny yam. I tried several times unsuccessfully to get roasted yam, but they could not roast the yam fast enough to satisfy the demand. Well, that is just me personally. Most people were satisfied with the regular chicken and goat which were the most popular foods on sale.
The ambition of the organizers to make the show a success was truly evident in the lineup for the traditional post show concert. It included , Food Kartel, Tanto Blacks, Khago, Wayne Marshall and Bounty Killer. This is an excellent lineup for a $500 show (pre-paid), although the show got off to a late start.
It is evident that there was a concerted thrust to make Hague Agricultural Show a success and it worked. Congratulations to the committee in charge of organizing and running the successful show and FalmouthPO.com hopes this continues into next year and beyond.
The full photo album from the show can be viewed on Falmouth Photos in the article Hague Agricultural Show 2012 – Falmouth, Jamaica – Photos.
