December 8, 2021
1 min read

Seaweed cultivation empowers locals in Rameswaram

Cutting out the role of the middlemen, she is now directly selling products to the entrepreneurs, thereby increasing her income by around 50 per cent…reports Asian Lite News.

Farming seaweed has become a viable and highly beneficial part of expanding the blue economy with success stories from rural areas of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.

The life of Mutha Muthuvel Sambai has changed through training in seaweed cultivation and farming and exposure to the market demands of seaweed.

Cutting out the role of the middlemen, she is now directly selling products to the entrepreneurs, thereby increasing her income by around 50 per cent.

Mutha, a member of the Kanthariamman Society for Seaweed Cultivation and Seaweed Products Production Organization, who is cultivating seaweeds for the last 17 years, is among the 2,000 people trained by the Marine Algal Research Station, a unit of the Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research-Central Salt And Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI) located at Mandapam in Tamil Nadu.

Seaweeds are macroscopic algae, also termed as the ‘Medical Food of the 21st Century’ due to their usage as laxatives.

They are also used for making pharmaceutical capsules for the treatment of goiter, cancer, bone-replacement therapy, and cardiovascular surgeries.

These numerous uses make seaweed a product high in demand. Locals have been cultivating it for a long time but lacked the skills necessary for harnessing its full potential. This is where CSIR-CSMCRI stepped in and took up the initiative to impart necessary skills.

CSIR-CSMCRI’s efforts have helped develop skills in cultivating seaweed, employing appropriate technology, enhancing biomass productivity of seaweeds for industrial requirements, and encouraging entrepreneurship development on seaweed-based activities among community-based organisations and Self Help Groups in Mandapam, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat.

The trained locals include many women who are the breadwinners of their families are now earning handsome dividends through seaweed farming.

Several women groups have benefited, and the capacity built through the CSIR-CSMCRI training and technology have ensured livelihood for the local population and also gone a long way in empowering them.

ALSO READ-Seaweed farming will help boost economy, reduce climate impact

Previous Story

Resident doctors across Maharashtra halt OPD duty

Next Story

Now, Yogi, Hemant Soren, Rabri Devi given Covid vax in Gaya!

Latest from Lite Blogs

South Asians Face Diabetes

These delays lead to more frequent and severe complications. Cardiovascular disease, nephropathy, and other diabetes-linked conditions are disproportionately high among South Asian Abdominal obesity combined with sedentary lifestyles is fuelling an earlier

Dulquer Unveils Superhero Characters

Another intriguing aspect revealed in the teaser is that actor Naslen’s character, Sunny, becomes one of the rare individuals privy to Chandra’s superhero identity Actor Dulquer Salmaan has officially introduced the central

India Embraces AI Future

Upskilling is emerging as a critical focus, with 51 per cent of leaders naming it their top priority. Around 63 per cent of managers expect AI training to become a core team

SRK Launches Aryan’s Debut

The evening belonged as much to Shah Rukh as it did to Aryan. Turning host for his son’s big day, SRK displayed his trademark wit and charm while introducing the cast and

Samsung Eyes $7B U.S. Chip Push

The potential investment signals more than just a corporate expansion Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing to invest more than $7 billion in a new advanced chip packaging facility in the United States,
Go toTop