TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government is currently boosting the downstream of more commodities aside from nickel, namely seaweed. President Joko Widodo or Jokowi said that Indonesia has great potential to process the raw materials of seaweed into ready-to-use products.

Acting Director General of Capture Fisheries, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Tb. Haeru Rahayu said that compared to shrimp farming, seaweed production costs are smaller. Seaweed farmers could enjoy financial aid from various aspects, for example, through the funding agency LPMUKPLU. "It's financially good, over a trillion a year for the entirety of the fisheries sector,” he said on Sunday, May 19, 2024.

Tb Haeru claims that licensing for the seaweed industry is easy because physical submission is no longer necessary with the presence of OSS. The location for seaweed cultivation could also be determined by the local government. Cultivators are allowed to use up to a hectare of area for Rp18.680 million.

Concerning the risk of poor-quality seeds, the Ministry claims to have used the Tissue Culture technique. The ministry also has six technical implementation units in Lombok, Jepara, Lampung, Talakar, and Situbondo, which deliver public assistance each year.

Currently, Tb said, China is the largest investor in Indonesia, followed by Korea, Japan, and India which have established the industry in Bali.

Tb Haeru explained that the government is targeting to reduce exports of raw seaweed from 80 percent to 50 percent.

Previously, President Joko Widodo pushed for the downstream seaweed industry in Indonesia. He believes that Indonesia has great potential as the largest seaweed-producing country in the world. President-elect Prabowo Subianto will continue the seaweed downstream program.

AISYAH AMIRA WAKANG

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