The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), an agency under the Department of Agriculture, said it distributed P34.66 million worth of deep-sea seaweed nursery sets across the Zamboanga Peninsula as part of efforts to lift national seaweed output.

Twenty-nine nursery sets were turned over to growers in Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga City, and Zamboanga del Norte in October, according to the agency. Each set cost approximately P1.2 million and features high-density polyethylene structures designed for cultivation in deeper offshore waters.

The package includes seaweed seedlings as well as nursery framing, anchor supports, floating systems, holding nets, and drying and packing materials. The equipment is intended to help growers expand production, and because it spans the full production cycle — from seedlings to post-harvest drying and packing — it covers both cultivation and handling needs.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said output needs to rise to strengthen the Philippines' competitive position. The country is the world's fourth-largest seaweed producer.

"We must increase seaweed production to maximize income opportunities for our coastal communities while strengthening the Philippines' share of the global carrageenan market," Mr. Laurel said.

The Philippines helped pioneer the international carrageenan trade through the commercial cultivation of Kappaphycus, the carrageenan-producing red seaweed. Carrageenan is a widely used gelling and thickening agent in food processing, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Growth ambitions, however, remain modest. Under the National Seaweed Industry Roadmap, the annual production growth target between 2022 and 2026 is 2%. Recent data highlight the challenge: the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that seaweed output dropped 3.3% in the second quarter. With the roadmap period running through 2026, the October distribution falls in its final stretch, and upcoming PSA quarterly reports will show whether such interventions help close the gap between the 2% target and recent performance.

Seaweed farming is a major source of livelihood for coastal communities in the southern Philippines, and the Zamboanga Peninsula in western Mindanao ranks among the country's leading producing regions. Deep-water cultivation systems such as those distributed are designed to move production beyond shallow coastal farms, where space and environmental pressures can limit harvests.

— Maria Mikaela H. Tormon

Source: BusinessWorld Online