From rising temperatures to falling prices, seaweed farming in Zanzibar in trouble
Rising temperatures in Zanzibar killing seaweed crops, a key export product for the Tanzanian archipelago reports AFP
Seaweed farmers complain of declined crop yields, coupled with the cheaper production and transport across Asia is challenging Zanzibar’s position as the world’s third biggest producer of spinosum seaweed.
“Seaweed is now cheaper in Asia, compared to our price, therefore we must drop prices to maintain our buyers,” said Arif Mazrui, who runs Zanque Aqua Farms, a seaweed business, blaming price fluctuation in the world market.
Zanzibar exports the seaweed to Asia, Europe and North America where it used to create food, cosmetics and medicines.
According to government statistics 80 percent of the 23,000 farmers are women. Tens of thousands of people depend directly and indirectly on the industry for income.
Zanzibar has exported more than 16,000 tonnes of seaweed annually however in the first three months of 2016, less than half of what is produced in the same period has declined. The Prices of the Spinosum sea weed has fallen from 700 Tanzania shillings a kilo (0.31 dollars) to 300 Tanzanian shillings.
Poor weather due to climate change or other causes is a major factor in the reduction of production of the seaweed growth.
“When it is too hot… seaweed (does) not grow very well, so a lot of women have stopped actually cultivating,” said Narriman Jidawi, from the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of Dar es Salaam to AFP
Zanzibar’s President Ali Mohammed Shein has promised to improve equipment for farmers and to boost their market.
