Seaweed Growers To Go Up Another Level
After the devastation left by Tropical Cyclone Winston, representatives from seaweed farming communities are undergoing training at the Forestry Training Centre in Colo-i-Suva to help them boost the seaweed supply. Seaweed produces an important product used in cosmetics, food processing and industrial uses. It is a food source and a demand export product for Asian countries like China, Indonesia and the Philippines. The Ministry of Fisheries and Forests acting director for Fisheries George Madden said: “The main aim for this workshop is to empower those communities who are planting seaweed to get into another level of processing. “We encourage farmers to make other products from seaweed; like soap, seaweed juice, seaweed jelly, and other products from the dried seaweed or green seaweed. “The demand for seaweed is there but the supply is less, Cyclone Winston has really affected cluster farmers. Only seaweed farms on Vanua Levu and Gau Island were safe. “We are now going through rehabilitation programmes and trying to set up new nursery and set up new farmers,” he said. Mr Madden said this training is a follow up from the training which they previously had in Mau Village in Navua. The three day training will end tomorrow. Edited by Paula Tuvuki
We are now going through rehabilitation programmes and trying to set up new nursery and set up new farmers
George Madden
Ministry of Fisheries and Forests acting director for Fisheries