Indonesia's Hope to be World's Biggest Seaweed Producer

Surabaya, Indonesia (News Today) - The Indonesian government has a wish to become the world’s biggest seaweed with a capacity of 10 million tons per year.

"We are trying to raise seaweed production on a mass scale to enable Indonesia to become the biggest seaweed producer in the world," Minister of Marine and Fishery Affairs Fadel Muhammad said in Surabaya Wednesday night. He also said that the target of the production of 10 million tons per year must be achieved in 2015.

"We believed, however, that in the next two years the target may have partly been reached especially in view of the vast seaweed cultivating grounds in Indonesia’s eastern parts, like East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Maluku, and North Maluku," he said after opening the 3rd Seaweed International Business Forum and Exhibition (Seabfex). Not only with regard to production, Fadel said that in the next two years there will be many seaweed processing factories.

"And not only wet and dried seaweed will be exported but also its processed products," he added. In this context next week he planned to meet banking circles to discuss smallholder credits for seaweed growers.

"Without the credits, I think it would be rather difficult to develop seaweed. We have reported to President SBY that banks are not so interested in marine and fishery sector. On next Monday (July 19) we will meet the banking authorities," he said. In 2009 Indonesia’s seaweed production reached 2,574,000 tons, which increased sharply from the 2005 level of only 910,636 tons.

"Seaweed to the total production of marine and fisheries accounted for 8.9 pct, while we set a target of 27 pct by 2015," the former Gorontalo governor said. Up till now the total seaweed exports reached 102,415.93 tons, worth 124.36 million US dollars, with destinations including Asia, Europe, America, Australia, and Africa.

He also said that the vastness of Indonesia is a very big potential for the development of seaweed, because it could be turned into an important commodity because it takes only 45 days to grow it before it is harvested.

"Demand from the international market is very high, especially as a raw material for the production of food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and others," he said. Indonesia has now 23 seaweed producing companies.

Source : kompas

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