With the support of the Ministry of Fisheries, women of Sawakasa Village in Tailevu have recently harvested 2 tonnes of green seaweed.
The ministry reports that the women have continued to grow their seaweed farming project since their first harvest this year.
“Yesterday they harvested two tonnes of green seaweed which was transported to Suva.
“Their first harvest this year saw them harvesting a total of one tonne of seaweed and they plan to expand their farming activities through the support and technical advice of the Ministry of Fisheries,” a Ministry media release announced.
“The Ministry of Fisheries is planning to expand seaweed farming around the country noting the increasing trend of reverse migration of Fijians who previously worked in both the formal and informal sectors to their communities or villages to better utilise their land and resources including farming and fishing for a living.”
An initiative that makes significant moves to tackle both the rural to urban drift and sustainable use of Fiji’s resources, seaweed farming appears to have great potential.
There are also reportedly long-term plans to work with investors and development partners to establish a seaweed processing factory in Fiji once the desired volume is achieved and sustained.
“Domestic value-adding will create employment opportunities and consistent returns for the farmers while also increasing exports and subsequently foreign exchange for the national economy,” the press release said.
