Barbados Agricultural Society Agrofest revival of the Barbados Agricultural Exhibition of bygone years

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AGROFEST 2005

	Agrofest, staged by the Barbados Agricultural Society, is the much-anticipated revival of the Agricultural Exhibition of bygone years, with many innovations.
	Agrofest was visited by the Chinese Delegation who enjoyed an afternoon visiting the many stands.
Animal exhibits arrived in Queen’s Park for Agrofest, which started on Friday at 10 a.m. for schoolchildren only. Photograph compliments of the Nation News
Compliments of the Nation News	Allan Maloney displays his prize pure-bred exhibit to the delight of some children. CHILDREN LOVE rabbits and so does Allan Maloney, so much so he breeds them. At Agrofest 2005, Maloney brought a few of his bunnies for the enjoyment of the children including his prize specimens, the pure-bred California, the only ones in Barbados. He also deals with the New Zealand white and the English spot varieties.
Sericulture was also featured at Agrofest. Regionally sericulture was practiced in Trinidad until Methane technology took precedence. Sericulture was also practiced on a very small scale in Guyana while peace silk is reared in the Dominican Republic by an Origon based cooperative.

	Barbados joined 200 plus years ago. This tactile textile which has financed wars and influenced peace, provides a baseline for an international high standard of living, is regarded as an excellent alternative to agro-sustainability and provides jobs and quality lifestyle enhancements.
In Barbados, the philanthropist Dr. Joshua Steele introduced sericulture as an early agrodiversity and exported vegetable silk to England in the late 1700's. In the interest of identifying jobs for older rural woman and contributing to poverty alleviation efforts, women entrepreneurs in Barbados sought to find a vehicle to inform and enhance the traditional cottage industries of Barbados, and the concept of Mulberry Patch evolved. Seen here Dawnay St. John at the stand.	Click on photo to learn more.
	Farmer Kenneth Armstrong stepped into winner’s row yesterday at Agrofest again and again.He was among the prize winners whose animals, in his case sheep, were judged during the three-day agricultural exhibition which ended yesterday.
Armstrong copped prizes in categories like Ewes No Teeth, Rams No Teeth Black Belly, and Ewes Two Teeth Black Belly.
	Hundreds of people flocked to Queen’s Park just in time to see Armstrong collecting one of his prizes from Prime Minister Owen Arthur.