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

There is an urgent need for diversifying livelihoodof low-income artisanal fishermen due to rapidly dwindlingfishery resources. CSIR-Central Salt and Marine ChemicalsResearch Institute takes pride in being first for pioneeringKappaphycus alvareziicultivation, heralding an era of com-mercial seaweed farming in India. The invention of liquefyingfresh seaweed biomass to obtain two products in an integratedmanner, one being a granular residue rich inκ-carrageenanand the other being sap rich in potash and micronutrients(ca. 2 %w/v), with proven efficacy has provided a boost tocommercial farming. The production has been substantiallyincreased from 21 dry tonnes in 2001 to 1490 dry tonnes in2013 with concomitant purchase value of <4.5 to 35 Rs kg−1(dry). India is fast emerging as important production center inSoutheast Asia forK. alvareziiproduction with estimated765,000 man-days of employment, having annual turnoverof around Rs 2 billion. At present, commercial farming iscarried out following three techniques, namely floatingbamboo raft, tube net, and longline method of which formertwo are widely practiced. Thecultivation activity is wellestablished in southern state of Tamil Nadu and progressingrapidly to other areas namely Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, andMaharashtra. The socioeconomic benefits accrued in this pro-ject are overwhelmingly positive, but evidence-based policiesare required for addressing prevailing environmental issues.The steps toward developing value-added products with nicheapplications coupled with biotechnological interventionsaimed at seed production through tissue culture for developingelite germplasm, etc. could further improve the prospects oftaking this project to pan India level. The present review pro-vides a detailed account of developments of commercial farm-ing that has witnessed successful diversification of livelihoodconsistently for the last 10 years.