India’s Seaweed Production Reaches 74,083 tonnes in 2024

Seaweed plants offer multiple applications, including in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and mining industries, for a wide range of commercial purposes. Besides, seaweed farming provides a sustainable and profitable alternative for economic stability and growth by reducing reliance on traditional fishing.

With over 11,000 km of coastline, India has immense potential for seaweed cultivation. Research Institutions have identified 384 sites covering 24,707 hectares across the Indian coastline as suitable for seaweed cultivation.

To tap into this opportunity, the Indian government’s Department of Fisheries (DoF) is implementing a flagship scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), and seaweed cultivation is one of the priority activities identified under the PMMSY to support employment generation and an additional source of income to fishermen and coastal communities.

The PMMSY inter alia envisages support towards seaweed cultivation and its related activities, which are under implementation in the coastal States and Union Territories (UTs).

Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, in the last five years (2020-25), the projects worth Rs. 195 crore have been approved, including the establishment of a Seaweed Park (Rs 127 crore) in Tamil Nadu.

Besides, financial assistance is provided to beneficiaries for the installation of rafts and monolines/tubenets, establishment of seaweed seedbank, pre-feasibility assessment studies, awareness creation, training and capacity building programs in various States and UTs across India.

Furthermore, Lakshadweep has been notified as a Seaweed Cluster, and the Mandapam Regional Centre of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has been notified as the Centre of Excellence for promoting seaweed farming and research activities.

In October 2024, the government issued guidelines for importing seaweed germplasm, enabling domestic multiplication to ensure farmers have access to high-quality seed stock.

An Institutional mechanism has been established by the DoF, in the form of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on Seaweed Development, for coordinated development of this important sector in the country.

Over the years, as a result of these government and non-government initiatives, seaweed production in India has increased from 18,890 tonnes in 2015 to 74,083 tonnes in 2024.