DAVAO (The Sun Star).- A STRONG and robust seaweed industry in the Davao Region is possible if all seaweed farmers in the region unite into several well-managed cooperatives operating in the coastal villages along Davao Gulf.

Japanese expert Tetsuo Inooka, chief advisor for industrial development of Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), issued this statement.

Inooka cited the big economic potential for the massive production of seaweeds by fishermen living along the long seacoast of Davao Gulf covering the provinces of Davao Oriental, Davao Norte (including Samal Island), Davao City, and Davao del Sur.

"If we can organize them together into several competing cooperatives, these seaweed farmers will benefit from good buying prices from traders buying their dried seaweeds to supply carrageenan plants in this country," Inooka told participants of a training workshop by the Davao Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project that will run in Davao from year 2008 to 2010.

Jica, with the assistance of the regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is currently holding a series of training workshops for various industry sectors along with the government sector, cooperatives and the academe at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in May, June and September this year.

Most of the Philippines' supply of dried seaweeds comes from the large seaweed farms in the coastal areas of Sulu-Tawi-tawi, Bohol-Cebu, Zamboanga and Palawan.

Traders and buying agents of big carrageenan plants in Cebu come regularly to these areas to buy their supply of dried seaweeds, which are processed into carrageenan powder, according to Domingo Ang, chair of the Seaweeds Industry Cluster in the Davao region.

Carrageenan is a gelling agent used for blending with various consumer and industrial products like toothpaste, ice cream, hamburger, facial creams, paints, etc. Its major world markets include the United States, Europe and China where market demand has been consistently growing at 5 percent to 10 percent annually.

Ang revealed that dried seaweeds now fetch better buying prices, around P15 a kilo which is far better than previous years when seaweed farmers sell them for only P7 a kilo.

"But most Davao seaweed farmers have no idea of the prevailing market prices for dried seaweeds and fall prey easily to scheming traders who buy their produce at very low prices. If they are well-organized into strong cooperatives, they can command better buying prices," Ang said.

Ang, whose family owns Martsons Food Corporation, a new carrageenan plant set up in Davao a few years ago, blames the individualistic attitude of many seaweed farmers in Davao as a cultural barrier that must be removed by launching a massive training program to help them get better buying prices.

Marizon Loreto, DTI assistant regional director noted that, "the active participation of various industry sectors, along with government decision-makers, cooperatives and the academe shows how much this region needs the industry cluster capacity enhancement project of Jica-DTI to boost development in Davao."

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph