Gold from Blue Waters! TURNING MINDANAO SEAWEEDS INTO FERTILIZER, ANIMAL FEEDS

Mindanao’s seaweeds industry, a major source of livelihood of fisherfolk in the coastal areas of the region, could lift many poor families out of poverty as research advancements have established two new important uses for the product – Organic Foliar Fertilizer and Animal Feeds and Pro-Biotics.

In fact, large companies are already commercially producing Seaweeds-based Fertilizer and Animal Feeds Additives, including Pro-Boiotics, using seaweeds traditionally grown by fisherfolk in the coastal areas and islands of Mindanao.

Seaweeds-based Organic Fertilizer has been found to increase rice, vegetable and fruit production by huge amounts while at the same time protecting the natural nutritional balance of the soil.

A research conducted by the Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST), showed that “fertilizer derived from the drippings of Kappaphycus alvarezii, a species of red alga, which is 100% organic, has proven to increase the yield of rice, baby corn, soybean, mungbean, sweet pepper, cauliflower, mango, pechay, and orchid.”

The SPAMAST research report published recently said that seaweed-derived “fertilizer has proven to promote enhanced growth in terms of height and diameter as well as enhanced seed germination. When used for pechay, it increased the number of its leaves and leaf area index.”

The report which quoted Graciella Caballero of SPAMAST said that “A kilo of Kappaphycus seaweed can yield up to 650ml liquid fertilizer. It contains nutrients that contribute to soil fertility, including nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese.”

“Drippings of the Kappaphycus seaweed contain nutrients that contribute to soil fertility, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron, and manganese. Foliar fertilizers are directly applied on the plant’s leaves, which absorb nutrients through its stomata and epidermis.

“With a kilo of seaweed, a large plastic bag, and direct sunlight, a fisherfolk can generate 650ml of liquid fertilizer, which can be sold for P75 a liter,” Caballero added.

The use of seaweeds as animal feeds is not new as this was done centuries ago in Ancient Greece and the Icelandic Region where forage was scarce during the winter season, according to literatures on Seaweeds uses.

Recently, interest on the use of seaweeds for animal feeds was renewed because of health and environmental concerns following results of studies which showed that cattle fed with seaweeds emit less greenhouse gases.

Believe it or not, the farting of cattle in the feedlots and ranches is an issue among environmentalists who claim that this contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

(In my farm, we are using a commercially processed Seaweeds feed additive and liquid drippings from the processing of Seaweeds into Carrageenan for our goats and chicken.)

In the Philippines, Seaweeds have mainly been used for Carrageenan production, the price of which is dependent on world market dictates.

The recent successful researches on the use of Seaweeds for fertilizer and the current trend of using these for animal feeds could be a boon to one of Mindanao’s richest resource.

The challenge now is how to transfer this technology to the stakeholders in the communities where seaweeds are grown.

That technology developed by our research institutions benefit rich companies and corporations, instead of the poor families who grow seaweeds, is one of the greatest flaws in our research programs in the country.

The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has included the Seaweeds industry as one of the commodities proposed to be included in the EU-Funded Mindanao Rise Program.

The aim of the program is to capacitate seaweeds-growing communities to process their produce into high-value commodities like Foliar Fertilizer, Animal Feed Additives and Pro-Biotics.

Using the Complete Value Chain Principle, Mindanao’s Seaweeds Industry could lift many fisherfolk families out of poverty and trigger the growth of the region’s economy.

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!

#SailingTheSeasToDiscover!

#touchgroundfeelthepulse!

(Photos of the seaweeds farms in Olutanga Island, the drying of seaweeds and the night consultative meeting with officials of Olutanga were taken by the Beauty & Bounty of Mindanao Media Team.)