BFAR invests P34.66M to boost Zamboanga seaweed output

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) distributed P34.66 million in farming equipment to boost seaweed production across the Zamboanga Peninsula and strengthen the Philippines’ position in the global seaweed market. BFAR handed over 29 deep-sea seaweed nursery systems using the raft method to beneficiaries in Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga City, and Zamboanga del Norte. Each system costs P1.2 million and includes high-density polyethylene (HDPE) nursery structures, plus drying and packing materials. The packages also provided seaweed propagules or seedlings, framing, anchor supports, floating systems, and holding nets. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stressed expanding carrageenan-producing red seaweeds such as Kappaphycus.