Sea island cotton gets boost from Japan
Published:Wednesday | February 19, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Japan has given Jamaica an $11-million grant to resuscitate the sea island cotton industry.
Vitus Evans, chief executive officer of the Jamaica Agricul-tural Development Foundation (JADF), which is spearheading the project, said the agency plans to put 5,000 acres of cotton under production over three years.
It is expected that the West Indian Sea Island Cotton product will gradually move up the value chain to include spinning, weaving, and the production of fabric, leading to garment manufacturing for sale internationally.
JADF is already seeking participation of private investors for value-added production, he said.
The grant agreement was signed in Kingston on Tuesday.
Japanese Ambassador Yasuo Takese said sea island cotton is known for its quality and is in demand in his home country.
Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke also touted the product's superior quality, which gives regional traders a competitive edge, and that the return on investment in the crop is more than 30 per cent.
"Efforts to grow it elsewhere in the world have not resulted in the kind of quality achieved as when it is grown in this region," said Clarke.
He added that the revitalisation project could lead to 15,000 jobs and that sea island cotton trade could earn close to $1 billion in foreign exchange.