Commercially cultivating red seaweed (Kappaphycus Alvarezii) not only brings high economic value and increases income for people but also helps balance the ecosystem and improve water quality.
In the northern region, during the 1996-1997 period, red seaweed was also experimentally cultivated in Quảng Ninh and Hải Phòng, but due to limited effectiveness, it was not widely multiplied.
Recently, the Institute of Fisheries Research has collaborated with businesses to experimentally cultivate seaweed in Vân Đồn of Quảng Ninh province. After 42 days from seeding to harvest, the seaweed showed relatively stable growth.
Although the results obtained from the red seaweed samples in Vân Đồn are somewhat lower compared to content and quality of seaweed in Nha Trang or Ninh Thuận in previous reports, they still meet the Vietnamese standards for commercial cultivation, particularly for carrageenan production.
In Vân Đồn, one of the pioneers in red seaweed cultivation is Nguyễn Sỹ Bính, who initially had only 5 kg of seed. Currently, with an average of 1 hectare, he yields from 70 to 100 tons of seaweed per year.
With the market price around 10,000 VND/kg and a farming area of up to 10 hectares, Nguyễn Sỹ Bính earns billions of dong annually from red seaweed. He continues to expand the seaweed farming area together with the oyster area to improve the water environment and supply red seaweed products to the market.
Thanks to the economic and environmental benefits red seaweed brings to farmers and the health benefits for consumers, the seaweed has become popular and the farming model has been multiplied. However, a guidance on the cultivation techniques has not been clear.
Therefore, when the research conducted by the Institute of Fisheries is completed and transferred, it presents a good opportunity for aquaculture farmers. Currently, many processing and trading companies are facing a short supply of input materials, meeting the domestic demand and exports.
VFM
