Sitti Zayda1,2, Concepcion Toring1,3, Darlyne Bugtong1, Fatima Faiza Amil1
1Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography, Seaweed R and D Center, 2Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi College Of Technology and Oceanography, Institute of Oceanography and Environmental Science, 3Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography, College of Fisheries
The commercial farming of seaweeds in the Philippines has grown significantly for the past fifty years to meet the world demand for carrageenan. However, the seaweed industry has been beset with various issues and challenges such as declining production and poor quality of raw dried seaweeds (RDS). This study assessed the farming and post-harvest practices of seaweed farmers in the Sulu archipelago using a mixed method approach—interview of key informants using a semi structured questionnaire, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), and household surveys. Farmers cultivate 52 varieties of Kappaphycus spp. at different times of the year using fixed-off bottom, floating and spring methods come from their previous harvest or bought from fellow farmers or seaweed traders or from the wild. A common problem in seaweed farming is ice-ice disease infection and epiphyte infestation. Ice-ice disease is observed during extreme changes in temperature and salinity, and when wind speed decreases and water becomes stagnant. There was widespread use of inorganic fertilizer. Fresh seaweeds are dried by sun drying them on platforms or by hanging method. These traditional methods of drying exposes seaweeds to contaminants and could lower raw dried seaweed (RDS) quality. The results of this study suggest that the RDS quality was affected by seedling quality, farming method, environmental conditions, and post-harvest method.
Keywords: Kappaphycus spp., farming practices, post-harvest practices, fertilizer, ice-ice disease