SEMPORNA, April 6 – Sabah’s seaweed industry, especially in Semporna, can be greatly expanded by emphasising on the development of high impact downstream products, Sulabayan assemblyman Datuk Jaujan Sambakong said.
The development of downstream products can be carried out with the support and assistance of the government, including in research and development (R&D) studies to value add to seaweed-based products.
He said that he was proud that his constituency was one of the areas with the largest production of seaweed in Sabah, and is sought after by overseas markets, especially China, adding that the national seaweed production was around 225,084 tons with a value of RM100 million last year, with 54 per cent coming from Sabah.
“I have also been to China and shared my views on seaweed and I found our seaweed there, where they have many factories and use it to produce various downstream products to reap even more profit.
“It’s important to conduct R&D so that we know what we can produce from this seaweed, whether to obtain soap, lotions, food, and with that gain more business opportunities, jobs that can help boost the income of the local communities,” he said.
Jaujan expressed hope that the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry would be serious in expanding the seaweed industry in Semporna and ensure that productivity in the sector is increased.
