(Representational picture courtesy Cash Management)

The interviews and reporting for this story have been carried out in March 2025.

Seaweed farming is the cultivation of marine algae in coastal waters, normally utilizing floating rafts, ropes, or different buildings. In contrast to conventional agriculture, it requires no fertilisers, freshwater, or arable land, making it an environmentally pleasant and low-cost enterprise. 

Seaweed is in excessive demand globally for its numerous makes use of in meals, prescribed drugs, cosmetics, biofuels, and at the same time as a sustainable various to plastic. Given its excessive market worth of round Rs 200 crores yearly in India and the rising concentrate on eco-friendly industries, seaweed farming presents a wonderful alternative for coastal communities, entrepreneurs, and buyers searching for a sustainable and worthwhile enterprise.  

India’s untapped potential of seaweed

India is blessed with a shoreline wealthy in seaweed biodiversity, with over 800 species recognized. The potential yield is estimated at greater than 0.26 million tonnes of moist biomass, but solely about 20,000 tonnes are harvested yearly from the wild. This underutilisation offers a tangible alternative for enlargement via organised seaweed farming.  

The first areas concerned in seaweed cultivation embody Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, and the Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Tamil Nadu, specifically, has seen profitable industrial farming of Kappaphycus alvarezii, a pink algae species valued for its carrageenan content material. 

 

The Central Marine Fisheries Analysis Institute (CMFRI) has been supportive of growing seaweed farming amongst different coastal cities and selling cultivation strategies, such because the bamboo raft methodology, to reinforce manufacturing effectivity.  

Recognising the sector’s potential, the Indian Authorities launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana’ (PMMSY) in 2020, aiming to spice up fish and seaweed manufacturing. This initiative offers monetary help for establishing seaweed tradition rafts, planting supplies, and post-harvest infrastructure, decreasing the preliminary funding burden on farmers.  

Moreover, in 2023, the Central Authorities additionally made plans to arrange a multi-purpose seaweed park in Tamil Nadu involving 136 coastal fishing villagers to advertise seaweed cultivation and entrepreneurship. 

A booming world market

The worldwide demand for seaweed is on the rise, pushed by its functions in meals, prescribed drugs, cosmetics, and agriculture. South Asian international locations like Japan, China, and South Korea have a excessive demand for varied seaweed merchandise, primarily for meals.

By adopting sustainable farming practices and leveraging authorities help, India can improve its seaweed output, assembly home wants and tapping into export markets, which in flip will increase income.

Seaweed farming in India presents a singular alternative to harness coastal assets sustainably. With supportive authorities insurance policies, increasing markets, and the ecological benefits of seaweed cultivation, now’s the correct time to discover this promising sector whereas supporting coastal communities.

(Edited by Arunava Banerjee.)

Sources

Multi-Goal Seaweed Park (Tamil Nadu): by Insights IAS.

Is seaweed farming India’s untapped treasure?: by World Seafood alliance, Revealed on 20 February, 2023.

Seaweed Cultivation: by Authorities of India.

Seaweed Cultivation and worth chain Improvement in India: by Authorities of India, Revealed on 28 January, 2021.