Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, on Friday, said that seaweed farming has the potential of bringing not only sustainable livelihood to residents but lasting peace to a Mindanao region in the southern part of the country.
During the program “Communication and News Exchange (CNEX)” held at the Philippine Information Agency, Alcala said the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino is keen on expanding the local seaweed production, an estimated P9-billion industry, in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The DA chief said that he has personally witnessed the steady transformation of the province of Tawi-Tawi into “a more peaceful and developed area in the ARMM” because of its booming seaweed industry.
“Many of the residents of Tawi-Tawi are deeply involved in farming seaweed for their livelihood,” he said.
Relative to this, Alcala said the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is “aggressive” in establishing seaweed laboratories in Sulu and other parts of the country in order to have a steady and disease-resistant source of the highly-priced “vegetable of the sea.”
“We are very aggressive in pursuing seaweed farming in Sulu to prove that an area would be more peaceful if the residents there have a steady source of income,” Alcala said.
Data from the DA reveal that seaweed is among the Top 10 export products of the country. The Philippines is currently the world’s third leading seaweed producer next to China and Japan.
Likewise, for the past seven years, the country has remained the world’s top supplier of carageenan–a byproduct of seaweed–with an annual production of around 34,500 metric tons.
Carageenan is a primary ingredient used in manufacturing processed foodstuffs, toothpaste, medicines, beer, and jelly.
Moreover, seaweed farming, which requires a relatively cheap capital, does not require the use of fertilizers and pesticides. [PIA]
Seaweed farming may bring peace to Mindanao
