Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Roger Clarke (left), witnesses the signing of an agreement between the Jamaica Agricultural Development Foundation (JADF) and the Japanese Government for the revitalisation of the West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISIC) industry in Jamaica. Signing the agreement at the offices of the Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA), on Winchester Avenue in Kingston, today (February 18) are: Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency, Yasuo Takes (centre) and Chief Executive Officer of the JADF, Vitus Evans.
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Agricultural Development Foundation (JADF) has signed an $11 million grant agreement with the Japanese Government for the revitalisation of the West Indian sea-island cotton industry in Jamaica.
The signing, which took place Tuesday (February 18) also marked the commemoration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Jamaica and Japan.
Speaking at the ceremony, held at the offices of the Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA on Winchester Avenue in Kingston, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Roger Clarke, commended the JADF for spearheading the development of the sea-island cotton industry, and the partnership with the Japanese government.
Clarke said that sea-island cotton, due to its superior quality, is one of the crops which gives the region its distinct competitive edge. “Efforts to grow it elsewhere in the world have not resulted in the kind of quality achieved when it is grown in this region,” he said.
“There is hardly any competition from other countries when it comes to producing this cotton…it does not spoil, you are able to add value to the primary product, it fetches a high price, and is not known to have suffered from any act of praedial larceny,” Clarke said, adding that the return on investment in sea-island cotton is more than 30 per cent.
According to Clarke the sea-island cotton industry can create 15,000 new jobs, and earn close to $1 billion in foreign exchange.
