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 West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISIC) rates the highest grade. It is
the longest, strongest and silkiest. It is also the rarest -only
4/10,000th of 1% of the world’s cotton is WISIC.
This makes Caribbean cotton 5 times more expensive than
the next best grade cotton. The best can only be grown in the small
land masses of the Caribbean Islands which have the right amount of
sunshine, rain, humidity, as well as a dry season and wet season in
the right sequence for the right duration. No other area of the
world matches that. The Eastern Islands of the Caribbean have
particularly perfect conditions for growing and the best of the best
is grown from the G barbadense seed. West Indian Sea Island Cotton
is not as famous as Egyptian cotton but it is superior and it is the
most rare. (Indeed, Egyptian is a hybrid of the G barbadense seed.)
Cotton was grown first by the Amerindians (the Arawaks and the Caribs)over
2000 years ago.
How are ECCI products to find their niche in the global economy of
textiles where other countries will supply 65% of the world’s
textiles? The answer lies in the Caribbean’s wealth of creative
designers, talent and craftsmanship, a previously underutilized
resource which will play a significant role in exposing to the world
- WISIC and its ultra fine quality - although the manufacturing of
yarns and fabrics must for now remain an outsourced part of the
process. Due to its quality, it is capable of
being spun to the very highest yarn count. Since other
cotton fibres cannot be spun and woven as fine as WISIC can, diversity
of products is very important for us at this stage in our
development and the ECCI range of branded products will focus on
quality apparel items that are not subject to the ever-changing
whims of fashion but concentrate on classic couture.
Historically, WISIC was grown in Barbados for over 300 years. Many countries have
tried to grow it without success. Up to the late 1950s, it was
harvested and sold commercially to spinners in Lancashire, England
and dominated the market due to its exceptionally high quality. WISIC did so well that it was endorsed as the finest, longest and
strongest of all fibres by the cotton testing and industry standards
commission – the Shirley Institute – in England.
This valuable and costly cotton was a highly prized resource of the
British textile industry, producing luxury fabrics and lace for the
aristocracy. Furthermore, Queen Victoria insisted on it for her
handkerchiefs and Edward VIII swore by it.
A
revival of WISIC and its newfound popularity among Swiss, Italian
and Japanese manufacturers is notable. It is strong and distinct,
it is unique, it is a brand. Coupled with its endearing qualities –
sheer beauty and purity, fashion designers and industry leaders
regionally and internationally are observing with keen interest the
growth and technological developments of its fabrics and the WISIC
‘look’.
There are more
myths about Sea Island Cotton and West Indian Sea Island Cotton and
their origins, but the truth is simply this.
You’ve heard of Sea
Island? Probably, probably not! Did you know that
it is an island off the coast of Georgia? A hot, moist environment,
perfect for the growing of a long-staple cotton. Fifty years ago,
that is exactly what the islanders did. These days, about the only
thing growing on Sea Island are luxury condos and the only cotton
around is draped at the windows, covering the furniture and the bed
linens in the bedrooms of these condos! Although, very little wild
cotton still exists on the island but it is no longer grown and
harvested.
The majority of
what is called Sea Island® cotton is grown in places like Arizona,
woven in Japan, and sewn in the Dominican Republic. Sea Island
cotton is also grown exclusively in Egypt’s Nile River Valley, an
environment closely resembling that of Sea Island, Georgia. From
there it goes to Italy for combing and spinning into yarn. Some of
the Egyptian Cotton we find in the stores is woven by two small
specialty mills in Italy. But the bulk of the fabrics, however, are
woven in Switzerland. And the expert Swiss, weave just like they
make watches. So when that fine specialty shop says their cotton is
‘imported’, you want to hear “Made in Switzerland or Italy”.
Here are some
numbers just to give you a rough idea. Shirts made from generic
varieties of Sea Island Cotton fabric can be found retailing at
approximately or up to US$99 for a shirt.
WISIC fabrics on the
other hand can cost as much as US$300.00 per shirt or more depending
on craftsmanship and design
Cotton
Seed … has a wide variety of uses read on and find out about a few
of them
Thanks to concerns
about diet and health, as well as a growing fascination with
creating new foods and getting the best features from ethnic
cuisine, consumers and food industry professionals alike have
expressed renewed enthusiasm about the benefits of America’s
Original Vegetable Oil ... cottonseed oil.
Oil enhances,
rather than masks, the fresh natural flavors of foods. Its neutral
taste makes it perfect for frying seafood, snack foods and oriental
dishes, especially stir-fry. In snack foods, where oil becomes part
of the product, cottonseed oil is recognized as being superior
because of its low flavor reversion especially when used at high
temperatures. And, toward the end of its useful life, cottonseed
oil won’t produce objectionable flavors as some oils do. Another of
cottonseed oil’s benefits is the high level of antioxidants (Vitamin
E) that contribute to its long life in the cooker or on the shelf.
Studies show that these natural antioxidants are retained at high
levels in fried products, creating longer shelf life.
Cottonseed oil brings out the flavor of foods. It is
ideal for dressings and marinades and enhances vegetable and meat
flavors. Many chefs prefer it for imparting a fresh taste to their
“house” dressings. Also, cottonseed oil’s light, non-oily
consistency, plus its high smoke point, makes it most desirable for
cooking. It is also excellent for the finest baked goods. Cottonseed
oil is popular in the preparation of potato chips and other snack
foods where flavor is especially important
Cottonseed feed
products have been used for feeding livestock for more than
150 years.
Cottonseed Meal,
Cottonseed Hulls and Whole Cottonseed are natural sources of
protein, fiber and energy.
Cottonseed Meal
is the most abundant plant protein feed available after soybean
meal. It can be used in both ruminant (hoofed animal that chews
cud) and monogastric (animals
include pigs, dogs, and cats)
rations. Meal solvent extracted is produced by forcing the
cottonseed kernel initially through an expander and then using
solvent to extract most of the oil. Meal can be used alone in many
diets or in combination with other plant and animal protein sources
to complete a balanced ration. The characteristics of a particular
meal are largely determined by the type of oil extraction process
from which the meal was derived - mechanical (screwpress) or
expander solvent extraction.
Cottonseed Hulls
are a valuable source of roughage for ruminant feeds and fiber for
monogastric rations. Whole and delinted cottonseed are concentrated
sources of protein and energy for ruminant rations. Cottonseed
Hulls are the outer covering of the cottonseed and are separated
from the kernel prior to the oil extraction process. Hulls contain
3-8% highly digestible cotton linters (nearly 100% cellulose), are
exceptional roughage with a high level of effective fiber and very
palatable. They are commonly used in feedlot and dairy rations
since they require no grinding and mix well with other feed
ingredients. Cottonseed hulls are comparable in nutritive value to
good quality grass hay and are valuable digestive aides to
concentrate rations.
Whole cottonseed is
often referred to as "fuzzy seed" or seed that has been linted, it
is the seed left behind after the ginning process removes the long
fibers from West Indian Sea Island cotton. Whole cottonseed is a
source of protein, energy and fiber for ruminant animals and
contains approximately 18% ether extract and about 20% crude
protein. In normal feeding situations, the amount of whole
cottonseed that can be fed is approximately 1 to 1.5 lbs/day for a
weaned calf and 4.5 to 5 lbs/day for mature cattle. The amount used
should be limited both because of the Gossypol and the fat content
of the cottonseed and Gossypol toxicity problems may occur.
Toxicity does not usually affect cattle that are carefully fed
specific or recommended levels.
More
information and technical data can be obtained by going to the
National Cottonseed Products Association website at :
http://cottonseed.com/publications/feedproductsguide.asp
Cottonseed oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the
seeds of the cotton plant after the cotton lint has been removed.
Cottonseed oil is rich in palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid
and 10% mixture of arachidic acid, behenic acid and lignoceric acid
and it contains over 50% Omega-6 fatty acids. Cottonseed oil is
colorless to pale Yellow and little scent, a characteristic of most
carrier oils. It is a very popular, all purpose carrier oil used by
manufacturers for making soaps, body lotion and candles. This oil
absorbs into skin at average speed, slight oil feeling left on skin.
It has a long shelf life and is slow to become rancid; users can
expect 6 Months to 1 Year with proper Storage (cool, out of direct
sunlight), refrigerating after opening.
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With careful management, growing
one (1) acre of cotton will earn $4,800 BBD
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Harvesting of the
Barbados cotton crop is scheduled to start in late December 2007
(Sign up now)
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One bale of
ginned cotton weighs approximately 500lbs and it can produce
enough lint for:
 215 Jeans
249 Bed Sheets
409 Men’s Sport Shirts
690 Terry Bath Towels
65 Men’s Dress Shirts
1,217 Men’s T-Shirts
1,256 Pillowcases
2,104 Boxer Shorts
2,419 Men’s Briefs
3,085 Diapers
4,320 Mid-Calf Socks
6,436 Women’s Knit Briefs
21,960 Women’s Handkerchiefs
313,600 of Barbados $100 bills
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