For decades, the phrase ‘pageant queen’ conjured up images of evening gowns, flawless make-up, and carefully rehearsed answers about world peace.Yet at the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show in May Pen, Clarendon, on July 31, a different kind of royalty will take centre stage – one expected to explain the complexities of Jamaica’s agricultural sector as confidently as she walks in heels.This year marks the 60th anniversary, or diamond jubilee, of the National Farm Queen Competition, a contest that has evolved from a simple interview process into one of the country’s premier pageants, combining agricultural expertise with poise and public engagement.“We move from just having a selection panel interview with the parish queens and then at the end of that, the winner would be crowned, as opposed to now.  We have evolved into a fully functioning pageant that’s not only about beauty, but it’s about showing that synergy between all of the technicality of the agricultural sector, all of the ‘dirty work’ that you do, and beauty and brains and grace,” said Jameika Johnson, public relations officer at the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS).The competition has reached another milestone this year: representation from all 14 parishes for the first time. Johnson attributes past gaps in participation partly to limited awareness of the competition’s benefits.In addition to serving as an ambassador for agriculture on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining and the JAS, the winner will receive more than $1 million in cash and prizes. These include a scholarship from the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), a weekend for two at the Riu Hotel, and a cash award of $300,000.“So, there are a number of things that the person will be getting. But because persons wouldn’t really know the value of the competition, then I guess that is why we struggle to find interested persons,” Johnson said.Perhaps the biggest change concerns who can enter.Contestants were once required to be practising farmers. The JAS has since broadened the criteria, opening the competition to women age 18 to 29 with either a passion for, or knowledge of, agriculture.The change has attracted a more diverse field this year, including women with backgrounds in logistics, international policy, law and business.MODERN REALITIESAccording to Johnson, that reflects the realities of modern agriculture.“We can’t recognise agriculture as just being out in the field any more. In fact, almost any profession that you can think of is needed in the sector specifically. And so, not only are we sending that message but we’re also encouraging persons, whatever the field that they are in, they are able to translate that in the agricultural sector as well,” she said.The diamond jubilee theme, ‘Growing Forward: The Resilient Woman of the Soil’, reflects the growing focus on women’s role in agriculture. It also follows the sector’s struggles after Hurricane Melissa and coincides with the United Nations’ designation of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.Johnson noted that women now account for the majority of farmers registered with the JAS.“So, with that information, we are now able to recognise that we can’t be leaving our women behind. And so, a part of the National Farm Queen mandate is to ensure that these ladies are entering tangibly into the agricultural field if they aren’t already doing so. And for those who are already there, then we try to build on what they have,” she said.In another first, the winner will be required to implement a self-designed national agricultural project during her year-long reign. The initiative will stem from the technical research paper each parish queen must complete on topics selected by the JAS, including praedial larceny and agricultural insurance.Johnson hopes the project, together with the queen’s ambassadorial role, will help bridge information gaps affecting small farmers, while advancing the JAS’s long-running ‘Grow What We Eat, Eat What We Grow’ campaign and encouraging greater youth involvement in the sector.“The parish queens become ambassadors ... so, not only are they helping to push that messaging but also through their own projects under their reign, they are able to also push that [mandate] to the youth to say, ‘this is something that we must be implementing’,” Johnson said.The anniversary year has also brought a corporate rebranding aimed at establishing the National Farm Queen Competition as a distinct product. Changes include a modernised logo and the introduction of the competition’s first sashing ceremony, held last month during the launch of the Denbigh Show and featuring corporate sponsors.The JAS plans a roadshow featuring contestants and will use content from personality shoots to promote the competition on social media.Johnson said the organisation was making a special effort to attract audiences to the coronation, given the expanded scale of this year’s production.“I just want to invite persons to come out to the show. It will be at 6:30 p.m. on the first day of Denbigh, that’s July 31, on the showground. It promises to be an excellent, excellent production. And as I said, we have a contestant from every parish, so come out and represent your parish and enjoy the show,” she urged.