by JULIE WILSON

THIS YEAR'S COTTON HARVEST has yielded 28 000 pounds less lint than the 2005/2006 cotton crop.

Chief executive officer of Exclusive Cottons of the Caribbean Inc. (ECCI), Adlai Stevenson, said the 2005 crop produced a "bountiful"
70 000 pounds of lint but, due to the persistent heavy rains and crop pests, the 2006/2007 harvest was much less.

He however predicted a much better harvest when the 2008 season got under way next month.

Because of the poor yield, board chairman Anstey Scott made a strong appeal for the incorporation of modern technology in the cotton growing process to stave off bothersome crop pests.
Speaking after a presentation at ECCI's Groves, St George, office to the top three cotton pickers – who picked a combined total of 6 913 pounds – he revealed that the 2006/2007 crop had been plagued by pests and said time had long passed for the industry to take a closer look at modern technology to resolve and soften the impact of environmental and pest factors.

Scott suggested the use of satellite imagery to reduce the amount of money spent by farmers on pesticides, adding the technology would require adequate financial help.

"Similar concepts are viable in the use of plant growth regulation as well as water management.

"We at ECCI will continue to emphasise quality and yield improvement; we encourage work on areas such as breeding and pest management."
He described West Indies Sea Island Cotton as one of the rarest in the world, stressing this must feature prominently in the company's marketing plan to woo local and regional buyers.

Scott also said ECCI had been in operation for three years and it was challenging to adequately execute its marketing campaign.

"Ironically, it is this fact that has proven to be a major challenge to ECCI, a young and 'green' company seeking to enter a market comprised of expert and longstanding textile producers who are very jealous of their market share and who will not willingly give
way to the new guys on the block."