57th Annual Agriculture Show Opens Tomorrow

The 57th Annual Cayman Islands Agriculture Show will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, 18 February 2026, at the Agricultural Grounds in Lower Valley, continuing one of the Cayman Islands’ longest-standing and most significant national traditions.

Held under the theme “Harvesting Harmony: Cayman Culture and Agriculture,” this year’s Show will celebrate the enduring connection between farming, culture and community, while also highlighting the important role local agriculture plays in strengthening resilience across the Islands.

For more than half a century, the Agriculture Show has brought together farmers, producers, families and community partners in a showcase of livestock, crops, local produce, agro-processing, demonstrations and cultural exhibitions. It remains the largest annual public event in the Cayman Islands and reflects the depth and diversity of the agricultural sector.

This year’s event will also mark the launch of Grown in Cayman: What Cayman Grows, a national food security awareness campaign aligned with the Cayman Islands Food and Nutrition Security Policy (CIFNSP) 2022–2036.

The campaign is designed to translate policy into clear, practical public messaging focused on strengthening local production, increasing awareness of Cayman’s reliance on imported food, and encouraging achievable actions at the household and community level.

Cayman currently imports more than 80 percent of the food it consumes. In 2024, approximately CI$286 million was spent on imported food. While imports remain necessary for a small island economy, Grown in Cayman: What Cayman Grows highlights opportunities to strengthen local capacity in key commodities already produced in the Islands, including eggs, poultry, goat meat, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, mangoes and avocados.

The initiative focuses on:

• Increasing public understanding of food security and its connection to cost of living and resilience;
• Supporting farmers and local producers through strengthened demand under the Grown in Cayman initiative;
• Encouraging consumers to buy local where possible; and
• Promoting household-level growing of suitable crops.

Honourable Johany “Jay” Ebanks, Minister responsible for Agriculture, stated: “The Agriculture Show continues to be a cornerstone event for our Islands. It provides an opportunity to celebrate our farmers and to reinforce the importance of strengthening local agriculture. Food security affects households, livelihoods and long-term resilience.”

Director of Agriculture Wilbur Welcome added: “The Agriculture Show offers a valuable opportunity for the public to engage directly with farmers and the Department of Agriculture team. Strengthening local food systems requires collaboration across the sector, and this campaign reinforces that shared responsibility.”

Her Excellency the Governor will formally declare the 57th Annual Agriculture Show open during the official ceremony.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend and participate in this longstanding national event.