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Monday, April 04, 2005
RP is world's biggest supplier of carageenan
By Jenny Grace Molbog-Mendoza
THE Philippines remains the biggest producer of semi-refined carageenan, supplying more than 70 percent of the global demand.
The annual global demand for carageenan is estimated at 220,000 metric tons, but the supply is only pegged at 170,800 metric tons or 78 percent of world demand.
The Philippines accounts for 127,000 metric tons or 74 percent of total supply. The rest comes from Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Tanzania.
In his presentation during the Philippine-East Asean Growth Area (Eaga) Business Forum held Friday at the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) office, Hadji Adam Omar, chair of the Western Seaweed Industry Development Foundation Inc., said that the country's seaweed industry is projecting a higher annual growth forecast of four to six percent in the coming years due to the increasing product applications for carageenan.
With the growing world demand for the product, Omar said the country's growers can consolidate as a strategy to further expand their existing seaweed farms.
To date, there are around 11 Filipino-owned and foreign-owned seaweed processing plants operating in the country.
Carageenan is the major substance used in products that need gelling, suspending, thickening, or water-holding properties.
Carageenan is commonly known as "guso" in Bisaya and "agal-agal" in Tausug. This product is extensively cultured in Western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, which account for almost 60 percent of the country's total production.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 4, 2005 issue)
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