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An overview on agarophyte trade in India and need for policy interventions

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Abstract

Generally speaking, various seaweed resources, if properly managed, can be a renewable resource with the ability to be sustainably and commercially exploited on a global basis, according to the species available, for a variety of products of industrial importance. In recent times, agar, derived from certain red seaweeds, is the only phycocolloid to have registered a surge in demand and value. However, little emphasis has been given to this emerging opportunity in India, which to our best judgment has the potential to be a significant commercial success. This review reports on steps taken to ensure Indian self-reliance on the production of agarophytes, their resource availability, management, agar characterization, and various methods of extraction. Historically fluctuating landings have reported the availability of different agarophytes of which maximum biomass of 982 dry t for Gracilaria edulis was harvested during 1990–1991 along with 665 dry t of Gelidiella acerosa during 2002–2003. Meanwhile, data for the industrial production of agar reported ca. 197 t of food-grade agar and ca. 92 t of bacteriological grade agar annually, which is very low in quantity as opposed to domestic requirements. Despite this, farming of agarophyte holds considerable promise. A model is proposed here whereby productivity of 1 t agarophyte per day (TPD) could realize US$827,22–287,440 as net profit. Technical interventions are required in order to improve the growth and yield of commercial open-water farming of agarophytes. During the last two decades, agar imports to India increased ca. 7 times in volume and ca. 42 times in value, while export figures were ca. 198 times and ca. 149 times, respectively. This review examines the existing policies and legislations acting as constrains for the agarophyte trade and products which would provide a framework for improving the overall prospects of agar producing red seaweeds in India.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks are also due to Dr. CRK Reddy for critical discussions; Dr. S. Kannan, Head Business Development, for helping in proposing 1 TDP production model; and Dr. V. Veeragurunathan for sharing the photographs pertaining to Gracilaria debilis farming. The comments from reviewers and handling editor have tremendously helped to improve the previous draft of the manuscript, which is acknowledged with special thanks. We thank Dr. Amitava Das, Director, CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar; Dr. Sunil K. Singh, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Goa; and Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, ICAR-National Academy for Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad, for their support and encouragement to write this review. We thank M/s. SNAP Natural and Alginate Products Pvt. Ltd. for partnering with CSIR-CSMCRI in agrophyte cultivation. We are equally grateful to Madurai Agar and Alginate Manufacturing Association, Maduarai, and Marine Chemicals, Chochin, for sharing the landing and production data and M/s. Lifescience Intellipidia, Noida, for providing export–import data. This manuscript has CSIR-PRIS registration no. 117/2018 dt. 14.06.2018.

Funding

This work is financially supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. AKS is financially supported by the CSIR under Emeritus Scientist Scheme (21(937)/12/EMR-II). Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi, and Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, gave financial support in the past to take agarophyte farming and value addition work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biotechnology and Phycology, CSIR-Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Gijubhai Badheka Marg, Bhavnagar, 364002, India

    Vaibhav A. Mantri & A. K. Siddhanta

  2. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Gijubhai Badheka Marg, Bhavnagar, 364002, India

    Vaibhav A. Mantri, M. Ganesan & A. K. Siddhanta

  3. CSIR-Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Mandapam Camp, 623 519, India

    M. Ganesan

  4. Biological Oceanography Davison, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403 004, India

    Vishal Gupta

  5. ICAR - National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad, 500030, India

    P. Krishnan

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  1. Vaibhav A. Mantri
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Mantri, V.A., Ganesan, M., Gupta, V. et al. An overview on agarophyte trade in India and need for policy interventions. J Appl Phycol 31, 3011–3023 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-019-01791-z

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