Opinion: The weed that isn’t!

Seaweed has now been certified by ICRISAT, Hyderabad, as an active biofertilizer and with organic farming catching on, seaweed sap as fertilizer is bound to break new ground

By M Krishnan and Ramasubramanian V

Imagine using a shopping bag that could disintegrate in hot water or dissolve in minutes in normal water. This and many more innovative seaweed products are already in the market and set to make strong waves. Seaweed is a macroalgae that thrives in marine waters. With some innovative ocean farming networking strategies, the fast growing weed would easily scale well. Seaweed absorbs CO2 much faster than any land-based plant or tree. Some seaweed can grow as fast as two metres a day absorbing CO2 fast and reducing ocean acidity.

Global Output

What has been done in this sector thus far? The seaweed global output is expected to reach $26 billion by 2025. Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsay Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Centre has put Rs 640 crore into the seaweed business with the hope that production could be enhanced to 10 crore tonnes by 2025. AquAgri Private Limited, New Delhi, is the pioneer in Kappaphycus alvarezii seaweed culture along the Palk Bay, Mandapam, Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. It started its operations after buying off this business from PepsiCo, which entered the seaweed culture business in the early 2000s with a hired labour model that failed. AqaAgri started operations in 2008 in a network model comprising self-help groups of fishers of Mandapam villages, the Department of Fisheries, Tamil Nadu (DoFTN), local nationalised banks and not-for-profit organisation Aquaculture Foundation of India (AFI), Chennai. The seedlings and equipment were given to the seaweed farmers in the first round and the output was bought off the SHGs by the company directly after crediting their accounts with their payouts.

The banks had no second thoughts in financing the SHGs for inputs and equipment in the subsequent rounds as payments for the EMI were deducted from the accounts of the seaweed farmers. The DoFTN and AFI played a magnificent role in providing extension service, technology updates and training. This network worked too well and fed the input needs of the carrageenan manufacturing factory of AquAgri in Manamadurai, Tamil Nadu. Fishers and their families belonging to more than 18 fish landing villages in Mandapam area directly benefitted from this initiative. This seaweed movement that started as a women SHG activity flourished and attracted their men folk, who then took over the offshore raft seeding and management and the women took care of in-shore seaweed drying activities.

A seaweed culture raft worth Rs 2,000 can be planted with 70 kg of seaweed saplings which would yield 230 kg of seaweed after 45 days. Each kilo of seaweed is worth Rs 60-75 per Kg. Therefore, if a family has 40-45 rafts in operation, the daily take is estimated to be as much as Rs 800 per day.

Outreach Activity

One of the latest in the scene for helping out seaweed farmers in this region is Grow-Trees, a not-for-profit organization, which provides expertise and equipment in seaweed cultivation in key areas in Mandapam coastal villages that include Munaikkadu. This outreach activity is expected to benefit at least 750 people in the area. The objective of this outreach is to enhance fishers’ income and self-reliance. This initiative will be replicated by Grow-Trees in other parts of India too. The Grow-Trees in their baseline survey has documented that only 15 families in this village had information and equipment for seaweed culture. This organisation provided training and equipment to the locals in the first round of assistance. Education is a priority area for these villagers and they are grateful for the new initiative that helps them to send their children to school.

Make in India

In addition to products that need seaweed as a base resource for manufacturing, the Make in India movement also drives the initiative. Seaweed is a raw material that is much in demand for manufacturers of agar, agarose, carrageenan and alginates. The hospitality industry is a newbie generating demand for seaweed. Chefs in star hotels in the metros, including the Taj Mumbai, are experimenting with dry seaweed in their kitchens. Seaweed lends piquancy to their dishes as salad or soup garnishing and brings the unique Umami flavour to their vegetarian offerings. Chefs are discovering that normal butter spliced with seaweed brings in flavours yet unsavoured. Chicken nuggets are spliced with alginate seaweed extract to help keep the meat remain moist and fresh.

Seaweed has always served as a food stabilising agent. When processed into agar, it can withstand high temperatures. Hence it is a favourite medium for stabilising and thickening ice-creams, pies, cakes, icings and meringues. The bland-tasting seaweed helps inhibit crystallisation of ice. Agar-agar is the main ingredient in falooda and in Tamil Nadu’s famous Jigarthanda. Seaweed cultured in a controlled environment could result in a horizontal expansion of the market with its properties rich in vitamins and minerals.

Seaweed has now been certified by ICRISAT, Hyderabad, as a safe and active biofertilizer. The seaweed sap has been tested on cotton and found to help faster germination of the seeds. The Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO) insights into the potentiality of seaweed as a biofertilizer have led AquAgri to manufacture the seaweed sap of the red and brown algae as a fertilizer. With organic farming catching on, seaweed sap as fertilizer is bound to break new ground in enhancing agricultural production and productivity. Seaweed is also an active ingredient in anti-obesity, anti-arthritic and anti-diabetic tablets. Dissolvable bio-film dressings from seaweed extracts are on the anvil. Seaweed wine, sushi in seaweed wraps are other products are much awaited new arrivals in the Indian market.

Active containment of negative market forces that break the smooth functioning of the seaweed farming network is essential. Natural calamities have wrought havoc on seaweed farming in the Mandapam region. Kappaphycus seed banks need a scientific approach in development, secure safe keeping off-shore and distribution to enable restoration of farming activities quickly after a cyclonic cycle. Private investments in seaweed farming and identification of sites suitable for seaweed farming besides Mandapam, Porbandar and Kakinada need serious examination and quick action. The volume needs of the market must be met on a war footing to retain market interest, product development efforts and market expansion.