BFAR-8 promotes seaweed production
TACLOBAN CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) reported that the scheme to sustain seaweed production growth in Eastern Visayas has been gaining grounds since it started in January 2009.
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional director Juan Albaladejo said the initiative has been implemented in five municipalities of each of the six provinces of the region.
Under the scheme, seaweed culture laboratory will provide disease-free planting materials to farmers through a rollover scheme. The facility serves as bank of seaweed genes coming from different parts of the country.
“In this system, we give farmers 250 kilograms ready-to-plant seaweeds and some paraphernalia for growing. After one culture, the 250 kilos will be 750 kilos and after 60 days, it will weigh 1.5 tons,” the BFAR regional chief said.
After gaining the maximum weight, beneficiaries are obliged to return the 250 kilograms for distribution to other fisherfolks. Albaladejo said that the investment required is P50,000 per half hectare that will be run by five fishermen or P10,000 for every participant.
“We started applying this scheme in January this year. From one fourth hectare in some areas town, the seaweed plantation expanded to two hectares,” Albaladejo added.
The said laboratory which opened last year is the first of its kind in the region. The facility keeps gene banks and establish networking with other regions of the country “if in case there will be shortage of seaweed planting materials.
“Plants that we produce in the laboratory are the ones that we give to farmers. That way, we won’t encounter problems on diseases,” he said.
To collect the healthy seaweed branch for culture, thalli are cut to at least 3-6 inches long. It is washed with clean seawater on site to remove all debris attached to the thalli.
The branch are transported through unsealed plastic bags, which are placed in sealed styrofoam. Upon arrival in the laboratory, all samples are placed in basins and washed thoroughly with sterile seawater.
Thalli are cleaned with the use of soft brittle brush, and dipped in 0.01% betadine solution for 30 s for bacterial disinfection. Slightly wash with distilled or tap water. Damp moist with paper towel and weigh in top loading balance.
After weighing, samples are placed in sterile culture jars containing sterile seawater. And place in culture room. Outplanting can be done on the second month.
Fishery officials are confident that they can encourage more fisherfolks to plant seaweeds since TBK Manufacturing Corporation in Brgy. 76, Nula-tula, this city, has committed to buy local seaweed produce.
Since 1999, TBK has been processing seaweeds and manufactured high-quality food grade TBK carrageenan as a finished product. The company has a monthly production capacity of 150 metric tons of semi-refined carrageenan.
New seaweed culture are focused in some coast of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte and Southern Leyte . Based on study of a non-government organization, the region has only 134.5-hectare existing seaweed farm as of 2007. The region has an average of 16,000 metric tons (MT) yield every year.
Seaweed has great demand in the global market due to its diversified uses of carrageenan, which is used as stabilizer, gelling agent, thickener, binder and additive for various dairy products, cosmetics, pet food, meat processing and beer bottling industries.
The Philippines is considered the world’s leading supplier of seaweed, comprising about 80% of the total world supply. Seaweed contributed about 27% to the total 2002 fisheries production in the country.
The steady increase in production for the past years can be attributed to high market demand, better price and good weather condition that encourage farmers to expand their areas for seaweed culture.
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