Red Algae Cultivation to be initiated by State Government of Orissa
With increasing demands for biofuels, the focus towards sea weed cultivation has spiked up in recent years. The demand for seaweeds is increasing worldwide not only because of its potential as a biofuel feedstock but because it finds wide applicability in cosmetics, ice-cream, packaging, plywood, teeth filling, textile printing, tissue culture, tooth-paste and several other industries. The low investment needs and consistent profits make it a promising business to venture. Seems the state government of Orissa at india, has understood these benefits and so has proposed to venture in macroalgae cultivation in an effort to promote women self help groups in coastal villages.
National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (Nabard) and Orissa Rural Reconstruction Association (ORRA), along with MS Swaminathan Foundation has initiated efforts towards setting up macro algae cultivation facilities along coastal regions of Orissa under the ‘Green Micro Finance Project’. Macroalgae, esepcaily red algae will b cultivated under this project. With red algae having a high market demand in agar-agar, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries in india, the low income groups in the villages would get benefitted. Especially fishermen in the coastal region would get an opportunity to earn additional income.
