Status of seaweed (Kappaphycus Alvarezii) farming land ownership and business productivity in Sulawesi Island: quantitative study

The aim of this study was to analyze the income and productivity of seaweed farmers based on farmed land ownership status. This research was conducted in three provinces on the Sulawesi Island which are ranked among the 10 largest seaweed producers in Indonesia: Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi. The twelve study sites were determined based on 5 special criteria and 792 respondents fulfilled the criteria for seaweed farmers. Data were collected through field surveys and analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Results showed that the seaweed farming areas are considered as private property with 4 types of marine land tenure or ownership status: own land, inherited land, leasehold land and purchased land. The productivity of seaweed farming land had a positive value greater than 1 in South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi, and a positive value of less than 1 in Central Sulawesi. Seaweed cultivation in Central Sulawesi has not been managed effectively. At all sites, the maximum number of growing season cycles was 5 cycles/year. Optimal growing season conditions gave the highest marginal returns at 2–3 cycles/year with additional costs exceeding additional income for more than 3 cycles/year.