TEMPO.CO, Kupang - The Bank Indonesia (BI) - East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Office has encouraged local government to intensify seaweed farming to increase production and invite investors in the sector.
Head of the BI-East Nusa Tenggara Office I Nyoman Ariawan Atmaja said in a statement here on Sunday that seaweed is a potential commodity in the province to accelerate the development of people's economy.
"We have a huge potency which is also supported by an archipelagic position with a long coastal line," he said.
The seaweed production of the archipelagic province has reached 1.8 million tons per year, while the national production is recorded at 12 million tons per year.
Based on BI's study, some potential areas such as East Sumba District and Rote Ndao District would need seaweed reseeding.
"The age of seaweed seeds in those potential areas is averagely around 10 years. Therefore, it need reseeding to maintain production," he added.
The development of seaweed farming should be managed with better capability. In this regard, the development of farmers' skills was significant, and banks could help them by providing them with soft loans, Ariawan said.
