REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUTA - Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries targets the increasing production of seaweed. The target recently five million tonnes, will increase to seven million tonnes in 2013.
Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sharif C Sutardjo, encourages seaweed farmers to add the value of their harvest. Industrialization of seaweed aims to enhance quality and production to meet the demand of basic ingredient in the industry. It can also give more income to the farmers.
"We expect the production of seaweed can reach 118,000 tonnes by 2014 to meet the demand of basic ingredient in the industry," he said on Saturday. He believes that the target can create job opportunity for 600,000 people.
Earlier, the ministry targets increasing value of fishery export in 2013. "We target the export up to 4.5 billion to 5 billion USD next year," he said.