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Seaweed farming in backyard
Shykh Seraj
At the end of October 2019, I was in Qingdao, China to attend the China International Agriculture Machinery Exhibition (CIAME). Qingdao is an old city on the shores of the Yellow Sea. Ocean University in Qingdao has a reputation for researching marine economics and I had the opportunity to visit several faculties of the university. My purpose of visit was to get acquainted with their activities, especially up-to-date research on marine resources. I went there and got lots of information. The sea is a major source of nutrition for China’s huge population. In addition to nutrition, the blue economy is an important part of their overall economy. They are moving forward in many ways to unravel the mystery of the resources of the sea. I had talks with many senior researchers and professors at the university. Professor Zhou Hong, a lead researcher at the Benthos Lab under the Department of Marine Ecology, said, not only marine fish but also seaweed is rich in nutrients and demand for this variety has grown significantly. There are some foods made from seaweed. I came to know about the great demand for seaweed by visiting a grocery shop. There were various seaweed stalls in that shop. Seaweed has become an essential nutritious food ingredient for Chinese people.
As far I can remember, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) organized a conference on the potential of spirulina cultivation in Bangladesh in the early nineties of last century. In May 2016, I prepared a news report on the success of seaweed research and production at the field level in our country. Seaweed is a potential element in achieving the prospects of the blue economy, which is quite realistic in our ocean. It is possible to produce a huge amount of seaweed by cultivating and extracting unique seaweed from our long sea border. I remember seeing the first seaweed cultivation in Tokyo in 2005. The first seaweed cultivation in the Tokyo Sea began in 1670, though its commercial farming started back in 1940. Seaweeds became very popular In Japan, China, Korea and many other countries. We also have a huge potential for seaweed cultivation along the coast.
The most hopeful thing is that our entrepreneurs have started cultivating seaweed not only on the sea beach but also on plain lands. Rakibul Sarker of Amsho village in Tanore upazila of Rajshahi is one such entrepreneur. Rakibul has now started cultivating seaweed at the Barind region of Rajshahi, where it was unthinkable. Rakibul’s has a house like any other ordinary farmer in the area with a yard in front of it where he has a shade, covered by white plastic polythene. If you don’t enter inside the shade, you will never know what is happening there. Inside, there is a big enclosure, kind of a large tank made of cement, where a sea water-like environment has been created by mixing the necessary ingredients in 17,000 litres of water. Nutritious spirulina is being cultivated there.
Spirulina is a super seafood and it is most nutritious for human consumption. Spirulina has 374 kilocalories of energy per 100 grams. It contains large amounts of beta carotene, vitamin B12, iron and fatty acids as well as tes mineral GLA-gramma-linolenic acid which is found only in breast milk. It also contains three times more protein than fish and beef, and six times more protein than eggs. Two times more minerals than soybeans, four times more fibre or dietary fibre than flour, five times more carotene than carrots and 40 times more carotene than spinach, 10 times more calcium than milk, 75 times more than spinach and 30 times more iron than beef.
Rakibul released 30 litres of spirulina seaweed in 17,000 litres of water and harvest from there in every 15 days. He said it would be possible to get 25 to 30 kgs of seaweed every month and he can sell it at Tk 2,500 (USD 30) to Tk 3,000 (USD 35) per kg. His investment has risen in the first six months. My question to Rakibul was, the way spirulina is used as food in foreign countries did not start in our country. So, how is he is looking into the marketing scenario? Spirulina is highly valued in the pharmaceutical industry, including unani medicine, he said. In addition, the use of spirulina in poultry feed will meet the nutritional needs of the chicken and cattle. As ornamental fish farming is increasing in the country, spirulina has to be imported for the industry, says Rakibul. He said it is possible to take initiative to produce seaweed on small scale by spending only Tk 25,000 (USD 293). He advises starting spirulina cultivation experimentally on a small scale. Rakibul hopes spirulina can change his fate.
Not only Rakibul, there are many examples of initiating such an entrepreneurial dream with seaweed. Seven young entrepreneurs from a remote village have also succeeded in cultivating nutritious seaweed spirulina in Kurigram’s Fulbari upazila. They are also dreaming of employment by producing spirulina artificially and exporting it abroad. The seven young entrepreneurs are Selim Reza, Ershad Hossain, Golam Wadud, Zakir Sarker, Hasan Bappee, Masud Rana and Fatema Akhter Mitu. They all hail from Prankrishna village. Ershad has built a dream greenhouse on only three decimals of land in his backyard. Selim attained training on spirulina cultivation from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University and later taught the other six. Now their dreams and success have spread far and wide.
In addition to the sea beaches, the country has great potential for artificial spirulina production. Only general people need to know how to use spirulina as a food item. Moreover, there is a huge demand for it in abroad. These seaweeds can make a significant contribution in agricultural economy as well as meeting our nutritional needs. The future of the blue economy we are dreaming of can spread across the country through Rakibul’s initiatives.
Photo: Hridoye Mati O Manush