WORKING PAPERS - BOBP/WP/69
Agar and Alginate Production from Seaweed in India
by
J. J. W. Coppen
Gum specialist
P. Nambiar
Economist
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WORKING PAPERS - BOBP/WP/69 Agar and Alginate Production from Seaweed in Indiaby |
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Executing Agency: Natural Resources Institute (NRI), U.K. Funding Agency: Overseas Development Administration (ODA) of the United Kingdom Bay of Bengal Programme Madras, India, 1991 |
| The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. |
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© FAO 2004
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Although small by world standards, Indian production of agar and alginates— natural gums derived from certain species of seaweed — contributes to the national economy by supplying materials to the market that would otherwise need to be imported. It is also important in providing income opportunities to many fishing communities, particularly the women, who harvest the seaweed from coastal waters. This paper surveys the Indian seaweed industry and its principal products, agar and sodium alginate. Technical and economic aspects of seaweed collection and processing, and the markets for the products, are examined. Trials undertaken by BOBP to cultivate Gracilaria seaweed and to employ it as a source of raw material for villagescale agar production are briefly described. The work presented is based on information collected during visits made in 1988 and 1989 to harvesting centres along the south-eastern coastline of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The seaweed industries are not well documented and the report relies heavily on first-hand information gained through visits and discussions with the seaweed collectors, agents and processors. The authors would like to thank all these people for their kind assistance during the implementation of this study as well as the Post-Harvest Fisheries Adviser and local consultants involved in the collection of data and the organization of this visit. The work described in this paper has been sponsored by BOBP’s Post-Harvest Fisheries Project. It is executed by the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), UK, and funded by the ODA (Overseas Development Administration) of the United Kingdom. |
1. INTRODUCTION
2. PRODUCTION AND TRADE IN SEAWEED AND SEAWEED GUMS
2.1 World
2.2 India
3. SEAWEED COLLECTION IN INDIA
3.1 Location
3.2 Species of seaweed utilized
3.3 Seasonality of collection
3.4 Methods employed
3.5 The role of the seaweed agent
3.6 Financial returns
3.7 Raw material supplies
4. PRODUCTION OF AGAR IN INDIA
4.1 Uses and types of agar produced
4.2 Quality criteria
4.3 Location of the industry
4.4 Scales of operation
4.5 Processing methods employed— General principles
— Cleaning of seaweed
— Chemical pre-treatment
— Extraction
— Filtration and gelation of extract
— Bleaching and dewatering of the gel4.6 Marketing and prices
4.7 Constraints faced by the industry
5. PRODUCTION OF ALGINATES IN INDIA
5.1 Types of alginates produced and their uses
5.2 Quality criteria
5.3 Location of the industry
5.4 Scales of operation
5.5 Processing methods employed— General principles
— Preparation of seaweed for extraction
— Extraction
— The direct precipitation of alginic acid and conversion to sodium alginate
— Production of alginic acid via calcium alginate5.6 Marketing and prices
5.7 Constraints faced by the industry
6. SEAWEED CULTURE AND THE PROSPECTS FOR ITS COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA
6.1 Agarophytes
6.2 Alginophytes
7. VILLAGE-SCALE PRODUCTION OF AGAR
TABLES
1. Prices for seaweed paid by agent to collector
2. Prices for seaweed paid by processor to agent
3. Total seaweed landings
4. Prices for agar obtained by producer
FIGURES
1. Production and marketing areas for seaweed, agar and alginates
2. Total seaweed landings
3. General processing scheme for production of agar
4. General processing scheme for production of sodium alginate
APPENDICES
1. List of agar producers in India
2. List of alginate producers in India
PUBLICATIONS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL PROGRAMME