Seaweed

Indonesia has a wide range of seaweed product forms, where we can find it as dried seaweed, powdered seaweed, alkali-treated seaweed, semi-refined and refined carrageenan, refined agar, and in a blended or product application. There are also bio-stimulants (fertiliser) and multiple derivative products made from the waste of seaweed processes (liquid and solid waste). In Indonesia, people farm both carrageenan-producer seaweed (carrageenophytes) and agar-producer seaweed (agarophytes). Kappaphycus alvarezii (Eucheuma cottonii), Eucheuma denticulatum (Eucheuma spinosum), and Eucheuma striatum (Sacol) are among the carrageenophytes that being farmed in the coastal waters across Indonesia. Meanwhile, Gracilaria sp. (agarophytes) is cultivated in both brackish and coastal water—other agarophytes, such as Gelidium sp., Gelidiela sp., and Pterocladia sp., are harvested from the wild. There is also some edible seaweed in Indonesia, such as Caulerpa sp. and Ulva sp., which being consumed just like a vegetable. Indonesia exports 57% of the produced carrageenan to Europe, China, USA, Philippines, etc. Meanwhile, agar is absorbed mainly by the domestic market (about 75.5%), and only 24.5% is for the export market. There are 69 seaweed processors in Indonesia, which vary in size (small, medium and large scale production) and also products (various carrageenan and agar types). Not all the processors are in good shape; some of them operates only when the price of raw material is reasonable. One of the main problems in Indonesia seaweed industry is the low productivity and quality of seaweed raw material, which becomes an obstacle for further processing.