‘Code of Practice’ urged for seaweed industry
November 11, 2001 | 12:00am
TIGBAUAN, Iloilo – A "Code of Practice" for the local seaweed industry should be formulated to minimize industry malpractices and sustain its vantage position in the international market.
This was the consensus arrived at by participants in the "National Seaweed Planning Workshop" held recently at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC AQD) in this seaside town situated 25 kilometers west of Iloilo City.
The code has been envisioned to adopt systems of policies and standards to govern the farming and procurement practices of seaweeds for farmers, traders, processors, and entrepreneurs.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), currently headed by Director Malcom Sarmiento, was designated as the lead agency in the drafting of the code.
The workshop discussed the research and development (R&D) programs of the participating agencies, identified and validated the problems and concerns of the seaweed industry, and agreed on strategies of solving problems in seaweed farming such as disease management, manpower development and management, post-harvest processes, postharvest facilities, and research funding.
Represented in the workshop were the Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines; Kasangnayan Seaweed Planters Association, Zamboanga City; Western Mindanao Seaweed Industry Foundation; CP Kelco Philippines, Inc.; Growth and Equity for Mindanao; Bureau of Agricultural Research; BFAR Regional Field Offices 4, 5, 6, 9, and ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao); Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute, DOST-Technology Application and promotion Institute, and DOST-Science and Technology promotion for Mindanao; Mariano Marcos State University, Batac, Ilocos Norte; University of San Carlos, Cebu City; Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi Institute of Technology and Oceanography; Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology; Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development, Los Baños, Laguna; University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute, Diliman, Quezon City; UP Visayas, Iloilo; and SEAFDEC AQD.
The participating institutions and agencies agreed to support each other’s R&D program to optimize resources and to solve problems in the industry in terms of expertise, research, facilities, and financial resources.
The workshop participants emphasized that seaweed farming has evolved into a major livelihood among coastal communities, particularly to some 180,000 families in the Sulu archipelago.
In 1999, the Philippines exported more than 35,000 tons of dried seaweeds worth $44 million, making the industry the fourth largest producer of seaweeds and the eighth largest producer of carrageenan in the world.
However, they lamented, improper postharvest management in cleaning, drying by salting or steaming, adulteration of seaweeds with sand, dust, and dirt for added weight, storage, and baling reduce the commodity’s quality.
As it is, they explained, the moisture content and cleanliness of seaweed dictate their market price.
A highly priced sea vegetable, seaweed is a raw material for carrageenan, agar, and alginate, SEAFDEC AQD said. SEAFDEC AQD, currently headed by Dr. Rolando R. Platon, chief, is now focusing on the utilization and strain improvement of some commercially important seaweeds such as Kappaphycus and Gracilaria/Gracilariopsis.
Seaweed extracts are used to gel, thicken, or suspend in the processes of emulsion, stabilization, binding, and dispersion.
Carrageenan and agar are also major ingredients in dairy products such as ice cream, milk, chocolate, surgical jellies and ointments, cosmetics, and healthcare products.
Likewise, they are used in softdrinks; processed meat, bread, and pet foods; air freshner, paints and in any other industrial applications, including pharmaceuticals.
This was the consensus arrived at by participants in the "National Seaweed Planning Workshop" held recently at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC AQD) in this seaside town situated 25 kilometers west of Iloilo City.
The code has been envisioned to adopt systems of policies and standards to govern the farming and procurement practices of seaweeds for farmers, traders, processors, and entrepreneurs.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), currently headed by Director Malcom Sarmiento, was designated as the lead agency in the drafting of the code.
The workshop discussed the research and development (R&D) programs of the participating agencies, identified and validated the problems and concerns of the seaweed industry, and agreed on strategies of solving problems in seaweed farming such as disease management, manpower development and management, post-harvest processes, postharvest facilities, and research funding.
Represented in the workshop were the Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines; Kasangnayan Seaweed Planters Association, Zamboanga City; Western Mindanao Seaweed Industry Foundation; CP Kelco Philippines, Inc.; Growth and Equity for Mindanao; Bureau of Agricultural Research; BFAR Regional Field Offices 4, 5, 6, 9, and ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao); Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute, DOST-Technology Application and promotion Institute, and DOST-Science and Technology promotion for Mindanao; Mariano Marcos State University, Batac, Ilocos Norte; University of San Carlos, Cebu City; Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi Institute of Technology and Oceanography; Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology; Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development, Los Baños, Laguna; University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute, Diliman, Quezon City; UP Visayas, Iloilo; and SEAFDEC AQD.
The participating institutions and agencies agreed to support each other’s R&D program to optimize resources and to solve problems in the industry in terms of expertise, research, facilities, and financial resources.
The workshop participants emphasized that seaweed farming has evolved into a major livelihood among coastal communities, particularly to some 180,000 families in the Sulu archipelago.
In 1999, the Philippines exported more than 35,000 tons of dried seaweeds worth $44 million, making the industry the fourth largest producer of seaweeds and the eighth largest producer of carrageenan in the world.
However, they lamented, improper postharvest management in cleaning, drying by salting or steaming, adulteration of seaweeds with sand, dust, and dirt for added weight, storage, and baling reduce the commodity’s quality.
As it is, they explained, the moisture content and cleanliness of seaweed dictate their market price.
A highly priced sea vegetable, seaweed is a raw material for carrageenan, agar, and alginate, SEAFDEC AQD said. SEAFDEC AQD, currently headed by Dr. Rolando R. Platon, chief, is now focusing on the utilization and strain improvement of some commercially important seaweeds such as Kappaphycus and Gracilaria/Gracilariopsis.
Seaweed extracts are used to gel, thicken, or suspend in the processes of emulsion, stabilization, binding, and dispersion.
Carrageenan and agar are also major ingredients in dairy products such as ice cream, milk, chocolate, surgical jellies and ointments, cosmetics, and healthcare products.
Likewise, they are used in softdrinks; processed meat, bread, and pet foods; air freshner, paints and in any other industrial applications, including pharmaceuticals.
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