In order to tap the seaweed potential of the State, the Government have accorded administrative sanction for a sum of Rs.127.71 crore for the establishment of Multipurpose Seaweed Park at Ramanathapuram and Pudukkottai Districts in Tamil Nadu. This project consists of components such as:
Hub I: Seaweed Seed Production Park at Valamavur in Ramanathapuram District
Hub II: Seaweed Processing Park at Gandarvakottai in Pudukkottai District
Spoke Level-I and Spoke Level-II infrastructures in the villages with higher seaweed potential in Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts.
The seaweed demand for the existing seaweed processing plants in Tamil Nadu is about 1,15,150 MT., however, the actual estimated production is only 21,982 MT. The proposed Multipurpose Seaweed Park will increase the production through import of virulent Kappaphycus seed material from foreign countries, which will be multiplied and supplied to the farmers. A foreign expert consultant will be engaged for the import of seaweed through MPEDA-RGCA. To carry out the seaweed production, Fish Farmers Producers Organisations (FFPOs) will be formed in the coastal districts through Cluster Based Business Organisations (CBBOs). Through this project, 49,000 MT of seaweed will be produced in 3 years and this will provide employment for about 9,000 people.
