For the second summer in a row Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield attended the Denbigh Agriculture and Industry Show in Jamaica where her first five-night stay cost taxpayers over $1,000.

In the House of Assembly last Friday, Ms Butterfield said Bermuda's delegation included Parks Director Lisa-Dawn Johnston, the Exhibition Planner, a Livestock Technician and a Divisional Officer.

The cost of Ms Butterfield's first five-night stay from July 30 to August 4, 2004, was $1,118.63.

"At the invitation of Senator Norman Grant, president of the Jamaican agricultural society, I attended the annual Agriculture and Industry Show Ground in Jamaica from July 30 to August 1, 2005," she said.

The Minister said new ideas garnered from the most recent three-night stay included making the grandstand at the Botanical Gardens multi-functional, redesigning admission tickets to save money and paper and more advertising.

Other ideas gleaned from the Denbigh Show included live demonstrations such as flower arranging, raffles, new sponsorship ideas, potential new judges, ideas to promote agriculture in schools and a petting zoo.

And from October 14 to 16, Ms Butterfield also visited the fifth National Agricultural Exhibition of Trinidad and Tobago, which she said was smaller than the Jamaican Exhibition.

"On October 15, 2005, the Bermuda delegation was flown to Tobago to meet the Tobago agricultural society," she said. "The society shared with us their role in assisting their government to fulfil the needs and address the concerns of the farmers."

Ideas derived from Trinidad and Tobago included, joining a the Royal Agriculture Society of the Commonwealth, a new produce selling stall for farmers, a Caribbean produce display, live radio coverage and a livestock and garden competition.

The Jamaican delegation visited Bermuda in April and are set to return in 2006, she said, along with another group from Trinidad and Tobago.