Philippine seaweed production is expected to drop by 28.6 percent to 50,000 metric tons from last year’s 70,000 MT due to the prevailing El Niño weather phenomenon, driving up further the price of seaweeds and exerting additional cost pressure on local carageenan processors. According to Benson Dakay of Shemberg Corp. and a member of the Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines (SIAP), the El Nino weather pattern is adversely affecting the seaweed production of Indonesia from which Philippine carageenan processors source their additional seaweed requirements. Indonesia, which was expected to produce 110,000 metric tons of seaweed this year, is now expected to produce only 90,000 MT.

Go, M. V. (2010, March 11). Large drop in RP seaweed output seen. The Philippine Star, p. B-10.