Second of Three Parts
Yet, prices have been volatile in recent years. Competition from abroad caused local prices of raw dried seaweed to plummet to as low as P25 per kilo (about US$0.44) in 2024, which means farmers operate at a loss. As profits disappear, some turn to unsustainable practices to survive, like mangrove cutting for charcoal, spearfishing and gathering rocks from the seabed to crush into gravel.
Other problems include ice-ice disease, says Siyulay Juhan, a seaweed farmer from the same province. Once the crop is infected with the disease—a bacterial infection resulting from higher sea temperatures driven by climate change—the farmers are either forced to harvest it quickly before its condition gets worse or simply dump it.
Building skills
Recognizing these challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) partnered with the Bangsamoro authorities in the southern Philippines, the International Organization for Migration and the International Trade Center on the Farmer-Fisherfolk’s Advancement and Integration to Resilient Value Chains (FAIR-Value) project.
Implemented in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, the European Union-funded project aims to improve seaweed production, value chains and marketability.
While seaweed’s uses span the food, industrial, agricultural and energy sectors, not all farmers are aware of these markets, so the training kicks off with a fresh look at its potential for them.
The hands-on training program is working to increase skills in sustainable farming, climate-smart techniques and making seaweed into high-value products. Participants learn various skills, including preparing planting materials and setting up a farm from scratch. They also learn from each other through farm field schools.
Profitable seaweed farming isn’t just about growing it properly; handling it the right way matters too. For Javier A. Abdul, a seaweed farmer, the training opened his eyes to the fact that quality means profit. He says the course was “a big help to small farmers. We learned how to keep the product clean, raise prices and be profitable.” (To be continued)
