VISAKHAPATNAM: Seaweed farming is gaining popularity along Andhra Pradesh coast as an emerging livelihood, and sustainable marine practice that boosts coastal productivity. Known as the ‘Medical Food of the 21st Century’, seaweed offers health benefits, and industrial uses ranging from pharmaceuticals to food additives.
Despite its potential, commercial seaweed farming in India’s open seas remains limited due to strong wave action and environmental factors. Traditional bamboo raft-based mono-line farming, suitable for shallow, calm waters, often fails in rougher coastal areas.
To overcome this, scientists have developed a tube net-based farming method using floating high-density polyethylene (HDPE) rafts with a multipoint mooring system.
Speaking to TNIE, Joe K Kizhakudan, Principal Scientist and Head of ICAR-CMFRI’s Visakhapatnam Regional Centre, said this system has shown structural stability and better yield in turbulent waters up to 10 metres deep.
Trials using Kappaphycus alvarezii off Visakhapatnam coast proved successful. Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the government has promoted this system, establishing a unit in Budagatlapalem village in Srikakulam district. Subsidies are being provided to Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and fisher communities.
Seaweed is harvested every 45 days, with dry seaweed selling for Rs 80 to Rs 90 per kg. Ten kg of wet seaweed yields 1 kg of dry product. The required tubes last up to 10 years, making the model sustainable with low recurring costs.
Sekar Megarajan, Senior Scientist at CMFRI, said seaweed farming has been takep up in Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Guntur and Nellore districts, involving about 50 families and 100 rafts. “After Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s visit, we installed 10 pilot rafts, and proposed 220 more,” he said.
Seaweed is rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants, and is used in both food and medical products, particularly for treating cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.
Beyond health uses, seaweed enhances soil fertility, aeration, and water retention, and aids in bio-remediation and pest control. It also provides raw material for extracts like alginates, agar, and carrageenan, used in cosmetics and food industries.
Megarajan said Andhra Pradesh’s northern districts—East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam—have abundant algal resources, making them ideal for seaweed cultivation.
“For the past four years, CMFRI has been successfully demonstrating this tube-net method, which has proven profitable and scalable for local communities,” he said.