MAY PEN, Clarendon – The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) is to embark on a development and beautification project at the Denbigh Agricultural Showground in Clarendon, president Senator Norman Grant has said.

While not giving a timeline for completion of the project, Grant said work should begin in January.

“We are doing the numbers now,” he said. “So we hope to get the project started as early as January, to get it up and running for the next Denbigh.”

The Denbigh Agricultural Show, which is held annually, coincides with Jamaica’s Independence celebrations in August.

Among the initiatives to be undertaken are piggery and poultry units, which Grant said should cost a combined $40 million.

“The piggery unit will be done in collaboration with Caribbean Broilers and cost about $10 million, while the poultry unit ($30 million) will be done with Jamaica Broilers as a contract farmer,” he said.

“We are also going to plant a patch of red peas and set up a slaughter house and, hopefully, we can get the parish associations to take charge of their pavilions, not just for Denbigh, but on a permanent basis,” Grant said.