ADB releases P20.23M for seaweed production

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is releasing P20.23 million grant to the Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines (SIAP) for the implementation of Seaweed Development Project in Region 5 (SP5).

Through the approval of the Department of Agriculture (DA) SIAP will soon be given the total P20.23 in nine months to come in tranches.

SP5 is expected to directly provide employment to 690 fisherfolk-families who will engage in seaweed products. At 250 square meter per module, these trainees will add 173 hectares of seaweed production areas with potential to contribute 4.14 million kg of raw dried seaweed per year with estimated value of P145 million.

The seaweed exporters in the Philippines is currently suffering from lack of supply volume from the farmers amid the increasing demand for semi processed or processed seaweed in the world market.

The country's seaweed exports this year is expected to grow by at least 10 percent, because more and more manufacturers have recognized the used of seaweed in different applications such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, among others.

An Inter-Agency memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed last April 29, 2003 in Manila among the DA, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Internal and Local Government (DILG), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Land Bank of the Philippines and UP-Dilliman, and SIAP for the design and implementation of a National Integrated Seaweed and Seaweed Products Development and Promotion Program. This program aims at addressing all the needs and concern of the seaweed industry to ensure sufficient supply of quality seaweed and seaweed products for both domestic and international markets. Also, to maintain the position of the Philippines as primary supplier of seaweed products in the world market while increasing the employment and income of all sectors of the industry.

SP5 project head Pete Borja said part of the P20.23 million fund will be utilized to renovated an idle NSTDC plant somewhere in Luzon for the making of carrageenan seaweed chips for exports.

This plant, he said would serve as the pilot project that will be partly participated by the government to promote carrageenan seaweed chips form for export, instead of exporting the real raw seaweed, which is most costly.

SP5 will cover 23 Fisheries Resource Management Project (FRMP) municipalities in Region 5 provinces that include; Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate.

SP5 will involve seven activities in the next nine months to properly implement the project these are; training and establishment of techno-demo farms; training on seaweed farming; improvement of NSTDC pilot plant to make it appropriate for production of dried seaweed chips; pilot processing of dried seaweed chips at NSTDC pilot plant; establishment of marketing arms owned and managed by seaweed farmers; research on improvement of seaweed seed stock; and research on presence of heavy metals (mercury, lead and cadmium) in seaweed products.