West Indian Sea Island Cotton receives JA$11 million Grant from Japanese Government

“We estimate that a vertically integrated west Indian sea Island Cotton Industry supported by 5,000 acres of cotton production when fully implemented will provide employment for over 2,000 persons full-time; 15,000 on a seasonal basis and generate income in excess of US$800 million per year in foreign exchange,”

JADF (Jamaica Agricultural Development Foundation) CEO Vitus Evans CEO at his address at a Wednesday press conference at JEA’s Kingston headquarters to announce the pilot Japanese Sea Island Cotton project

Yes, the Japanese are into more than just Rare Earth Metals from Bauxite as noted in my blog article entitled “No news on progress of the Rare Earth Pilot Plant at JBI - Cuba-Jamaica CFL Project Heralds manufacturing of LED's, Li-Ion Batteries and Sapphire Screens in Jamaica”.

They’re into West Indian Sea Island Cotton as well, with the Japanese Government granting Jamaica some JA$11 million (US$ 101,478.19) to do a 500 acres Pilot plant, with the intention to expand to some 5000 acres in the near future as explained in “Jamaica gets $11m Japanese grant to revive sea-island cotton”, published Tuesday, February 18, 2014 4:47 PM, The Jamaica Observer and “Sea Island Cotton Gets Boost From Japan”, Published Wednesday February 19, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.

The signing of the Grant Agreement took place at the offices of the JEA (Jamaica Exporters’ Association) on Winchester Avenue in Kingston on Tuesday, February 18^th, 2014. Of course, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Roger Clarke was on hand for this historic occasion, which interestingly also commemorated 50 years of our Diplomatic Relationship with the Government of Japan.

Japan’s lust for our fine Cotton to make high quality clothing is the reason for the demand as according to Japanese Ambassador Yasuo Takese as summarized in “Japan to pump funds into local Sea Island cotton production”, published Monday, February 17, 2014 11:09 AM, The Jamaica Observer.

Coincidentally, the Japanese Festival aka the Nihon Matsuri held at the grounds of the Ranny Williams Entertainment Center started on Saturday March 8^th 2014 as described in “Japan Festival a big hit with Jamaicans”, published 9 MAR, 2014 by Kelroy Brown, Jamaipanese as celebrations are kicking off in high gear in Jamaica to celebrate our love for all things Japanese.

West Indian Sea Island Cotton – Fantastic Four join forces to grow to meet Japanese and Global Demand

Other countries such as Antigua, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis also cultivate West Indian Sea Island Cotton, but apparently due to their smaller physical size, they can’t devote as much land space to large-scale cultivation. Interestingly too, West Indian Sea Island Cotton can’t grow anywhere else.

It’s not only indigenous to Jamaica and the other four Caribbean Islands but also attempts by others outside of the Caribbean to grow the same quality Cotton have failed, as its quality is directly related to its geographic location, just like Blue Mountain Coffee.

In fact, the very same Japanese, who are now handing us this JA$11 million (US$ 101,478.19), tried to take away our IP (Intellectual Property) rights to the name  and the product “West Indian Sea Island Cotton” but failed as their own Intellectual Property High Court of Japan ruled in our favour back in 2009 as stated in “Sea Island Cotton property war with Japan settled”, Published Friday August 14, 2009, by Dionne Rose, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner.

I guess this grant is there sincere way of saying they are sorry. Either that, or like the current IP issues being face with Blue Mountain Coffee as stated in “CIB Overwhelmed By Blue Mountain Coffee Brand Piracy - US, China Seen As Top Cheaters”, Published Friday November 1, 2013 by Tameka Gordon, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner, the demand for our West Indian Sea Island Cotton is outstripping supply despite problems relating to Geographical Indicators and copyright.

West Indian Sea Island Cotton – Numbers tell the tale of the Tape for White Gold

This puts Jamaica in a unique position to capitalize on what’s being touted as the equivalent of White Gold as stated in “Jamaica can earn US$800m from sea island cotton”, published Sunday, February 23, 2014, The Jamaica Observer and “WHITE GOLD - Jamaica Looking To Earn Millions From Cotton”, Published Sunday February 23, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.

The stats tell a better story than I can:

1.      US$10 per Lb for West Indian Sea Island Cotton

2.      US$800 million ($85.6 billion) in potential foreign exchange earnings

3.      6 million Pounds Global Demand for Cotton Lint

4.      60,000 Pounds currently being supplied by Jamaica

5.      15,000 jobs that can be created by the Revival of the West Indian Sea Island Cotton

The only other brand of Cotton that compares to our hand-picked West Indian Sea Island Cotton is Giza 45 that grows in Egypt. At US$10 per Lb, that’s a price that bests even the price for Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris) Charcoal as pointed out in my blog article entitled “Jamaica's Bamboo Charcoal exports stalled by lack of Bamboo Furnaces – How to build a Fresnel Lens Solar Powered Bamboo Furnace and produce Activated Charcoal byproduct”.

So the global Demand is there. Hopefully this won’t end up like another Agricultural Wild Goose Chase that has to be revived yet again under a new programme as was the case with the Fruit Tree Program as pointed out in my blog article entitled “Breadfruit and Fruit Tree Revival coming under RADA's National Fruit-Tree Crop Project - Red Stripe and Agro-Investment Corporation an example of how Agriculture benefits both Farmer and GOJ”!