| Carrageenan and agar bearing seaplants as raw materials for red algal galactans. One of the highest-profile and economically significant uses of several species of red algae is in their role as raw materials for extraction industries that modify, extract and purify the chemical constituents known as red algal galactans (RAGs) that comprise useful seaplant biopolymers. The DiveBorneo Carragar Community is being developed as an information source for this important industry segment and we are also lining up trade facilitation facilities to help buyers and sellers of these raw materials to do business with each other. The importance of this Community is well illustrated by these points:
>> Carrageenan processors have fueled the development of Kappaphycus (cottonii) and Eucheuma (spinosum) farming in several countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tanzania, Kiribati, Fiji and Madagascar; total market volume now exceeds 140,000 commercially dried tons per annum at a value of over 70 M USD.
>> Primarily wild-harvested genera such as Chondrus, Furcellaria, Gigartina, Iridaea, Mastocarpus and Tichocarpus are also mainly produced as carrageenan raw materials; producing countries include Argentina, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, North Korea, South Korea, Spain, Russia and the USA; production exceeds 25,000 dry tons valued at more than 20 M USD.
>> Most of the world's production of agar-bearing seaweeds goes to production of agar products; major genera involved include Ahnfeltia, Gelidium, Gelidiella and Gracilaria and Pterocladia; producing countries include Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, and the USA; production exceeds 110,000 tons valued at more than 100 M USD. |
