Conclusion
Participants took a crash course on the different markets for seaweed, pricing, distribution and how to make their product more competitive.
“This training is providing opportunities to improve the business literacy of seaweed farmers to give them the skills to navigate the challenges of modern seaweed farming and marketing as well as contribute to a more sustainable and economically viable future for people in Tawi-Tawi,” says Lionel Dabbadie, FAO representative in the Philippines and an aquaculture expert.
Viable alternatives
The training is also empowering seaweed farmers to explore opportunities to make other products. These include seaweed-based pasalubong—traditional Filipino travel souvenirs such as local delicacies.
Sitti Juhalla M. Hassan sells mamon (chiffon or sponge cakes) and puto (steamed rice cakes) to support her eight children, but rising costs have made it harder to sustain her business. She learned that seaweed purée could be used for puto and to make other snacks at a lower cost.
For farmers, exploring new ways to boost their income beyond just selling raw seaweed is a crucial way to reduce dependence on the carrageenan market.
Alternative markets include, for example, selling seaweed for bio-stimulant production or for food products like seaweed chips. FAO is facilitating contact between farmers and producers of these alternative products.
So far, 100 farmers have received training.
“The plan is that some seaweed farmers will become trainers and facilitators of future farmer field schools to be organized in their locality. They will be able to extend technical assistance to fellow seaweed farmers,” Dabbadie says.
Building on their seaweed farming experience, Tawi-Tawi’s seaweed farmers can tackle the challenges they face with more skills and increased confidence. With a greater understanding of the market and the opportunities that exist, they have a stronger base on which to build a more secure future. FAO News