An appraisal on commercial farming of Kappaphycus alvarezii in India: success in diversification of livelihood and prospects

There is an urgent need for diversifying livelihood of low-income artisanal fishermen due to rapidly dwindling fishery resources. CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute takes pride in being first for pioneering Kappaphycus alvarezii cultivation, heralding an era of commercial seaweed farming in India. The invention of liquefying fresh seaweed biomass to obtain two products in an integrated manner, one being a granular residue rich in κ-carrageenan and the other being sap rich in potash and micronutrients (ca. 2 % w / v ), with proven efficacy has provided a boost to commercial farming. The production has been substantially increased from 21 dry tonnes in 2001 to 1490 dry tonnes in 2013 with concomitant purchase value of