Sabah Seaweed Cluster project

Seaweed is algae that grow in the ocean in several different colours such as green, brown, black and red. some people know seaweed as kelp. Many people collect the seaweed and use it in meals as garnishes, or sprinkle it into cuisine dishes and smoothies to help add nourishment and flavour  Some people even collect and use seaweed for beautifying purposes since seaweed does have the ability to remove toxins from the skin naturally. It is salty and crunchy when it is dry, and salty and slimy when it is wet. The nutrients in Seaweed Vitamins (A, E, D, C, K & B complex), Calcium, Iodine, Protein, Fiber, Iron, Magnesium, Selenium, Manganese, Sodium, Potassium, Omega Fatty Acids and Carbohydrates. Seaweed has always been part of the staple diet of the Asians, who lived near the sea and depended upon it for sustenance. It may well be the 'secret' for a long and healthy life. In dried form, it may be used as part of a raw vegetable salad or crumbled and sprinkled over a salad as a natural tangy seasoning. Seaweed also can be used as a snack, together with a fresh, raw vegetable juice.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar said Sabah Seaweed Cluster project launched in Semporna, could potentially launch the national seaweed industry into a major valuable sector by 2020. Based on the plan spelt out in a National Key Economic Area (NKEA) project, the seaweed industry in Sabah, especially Semporna, was now recognised as the national seaweed producing district. Seaweed is processed to make beauty or cosmetic products, and so on. Government plan not only to assist the fishermen but government also need seaweed factories and a national seaweed research institute. Sabah Seaweed Cluster project’s seaweed output was expected to increase to 900,000 tonnes a year, and the export value of dried seaweed in the form of carrageenan could surpass RM1.4 billion. Based on the plan, the government was allocating RM46million to Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to implement a Mini Seaweed Estate project while another RM8.3 million more would be  channelled to about 300 participants under the cluster programme of the agriculture department.

Minister in Chief Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nasir Tun Sakaran advised seaweed farmers in the waters of Semporna to adhere to the regulations on the cultivation of the commodity for the mutual benefit of all concerned. Since there were more than 30 companies and individuals involved in the crop’s cultivation, a more regulated and systematic method was needed to prevent overlapping. Currently there are three main producing countries, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, but despite it being done in Sabah for over three decades, seaweed farming worldwide is still using conventional methods and most times labour intensive and costly. UMS' team of research scientists led by Prof. Madya Dr Suhaimi Mohd Yasir have developed the method to increase yield up to 30%, reduce costs and labour, notwithstanding it being eco-friendl