The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is said to continue to strengthen its commitment to optimizing the use of ‘green gold’ or seaweed from Indonesian waters. Tasks Executor of Director General for Strengthening the Competitiveness of Marine and Fishery Products (PDSPKP) Ishartini said that advances in science and technology allowed seaweed to be processed into a variety of value-added products that have a high economic value. According to her, seaweed-derived products can be grouped into 5Ps, namely pangan (food), pakan (feed), pupuk (fertilizer), produk kosmetik (cosmetic products), and produk farmasi (pharmaceutical products). "Several studies have also stated that seaweed can be used as a basic material in the manufacture of fuel or biofuels so that it can be an alternative solution to the energy crisis that many are worried about in the future," she said as quoted by the official website on Sunday. Ishartini explained that Indonesia has great potential as a world seaweed player, especially if it is supported by holistic policies from upstream to downstream. "It is recorded that 196 countries in the world are importers of this commodity. Of course, this shows how important seaweed products are in international trade," she said. Ishartini added, hundreds of types of seaweed can grow well in Indonesia and are very possibly processed as food, health, pharmaceuticals, sustainable materials, cosmetics, biostimulants, and fertilizers.
In addition, the use of seaweed-derived products has also been developed as an auxiliary material for the manufacture of food industry products (ice cream, bread, milk, sausage, edible film on fruits, instant drinks,) and non-food products (paints, textiles, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food products). etc). "In line with this, the KKP under the direction of Minister Trenggono has also included seaweed as a priority aquaculture commodity," she stressed. Therefore, Ishartini stated that the government is ready to support the downstream of this 'green gold' to always meet processing standards that can bring economic benefits. Indonesia is listed as the largest seaweed exporter in the world. This is reflected in the trade volume in 2021 which will reach more than 225,000 tons or equivalent to 30 percent of the total global seaweed trade. However, in terms of value, Indonesia only ranks second after China with a value of US$345 million or Rp. 5 trillion. "Market intelligence needs to be done to find out the type of seaweed products needed, both for the needs of the international and domestic markets. On the other hand, there is intense competition for raw material acquisition between exporters of dried seaweed and domestic processors. Therefore, data and information are very important as policy references to regulating seaweed marketing," concluded Ishartini.
Source: https://voi.id/amp/216863/harta-karun-baru-indonesia-emas-hijau-punya-potensi-ekspor-ke-196-negaraa
