THE country’s first seaweed bioreactor will boost exports, produce disease-free planting materials year-round and support seaweed farmers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday.
“This is the first facility of its kind in the Philippines. We can now produce seaweed propagules on demand,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. noted.Seaweed propagules are living parts of algae — such as spores, zygotes or vegetative cuttings — used to grow new seaweed. They act as seeds to spread the species, attach to surfaces and start new life cycles in the ocean or in aquaculture farms.The P10 million worth automated 1,250-liter bioreactor, along with additional modular seaweed bioreactors separately valued at P12 million, was launched on July 20 and installed at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (BFAR) National Seaweed Technology Development Center in Sorsogon.It replaces decades-old laboratory methods that relied on improvised bottles, manual aeration and less precise propagation techniques.The bioreactor regulates the conditions needed for optimal seaweed growth, including light, nutrients and temperature, allowing BFAR to grow healthier seaweed propagules faster and in larger volumes.Planting materials will be distributed free nationwide to improve harvests and reduce losses from poor-quality seedlings. The first batches will go to Zamboanga, Palawan and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, followed by Cebu, Iloilo, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Masbate.BFAR will train farmers ahead of distribution to maximize survival rates and yields.Tiu Laurel said the initiative aims to supply clean, disease-free planting materials across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and help the Philippines regain its position as the world’s leading producer of Kappaphycus seaweed.The DA said the Philippines is among the world’s largest producers of carrageenan-bearing seaweeds, supplying raw materials used globally in food processing, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and a wide range of industrial products.The country currently ranks fourth as seaweed producer, accounting for 4.2 percent of the global market, with Kappaphycus alvarezii contributing most of its production, according to the Department of Science and Technology.The DA is also studying additional bioreactor facilities in Palawan and Mindanao to expand production capacity, while accelerating research into new seaweed varieties for food, pharmaceutical, industrial and organic fertilizer applications.
