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Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Profitability of Seaweed Culture in Saint Martin Island of Bangladesh

TK Ghose
Worldfish, Feed the Future Bangladesh Aquaculture Activity, Jashore, Bangladesh

MI Hossain
Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Seaweed culture provides financial benefits and creates employment opportunity for coastal inhabitants of Bangladesh. This study was conducted to assess profitability and to determine the socioeconomic factors that affect the profitability of seaweed culture in the coastal region. Primary data were collected from 33 seaweed farmers for the study. The data were collected during the period of March 15 to March 31, 2018, through direct interviews and observation using a semi-structured questionnaire and a checklist. Both tabular and functional analyses were used to achieve the objectives of the study. It is evident from the study that seaweed culture is a profitable business. The total per square-meter cost of seaweed production was Tk. 1520 with a gross return of Tk. 2801.4 and net return was estimated at Tk. 1281.4 with a Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) 1.82. To estimate the contribution of different inputs on seaweed production through Cobb-Douglas production function, the explanatory variables considered were: bamboo cost, rope cost, human labour cost, repairing cost, age, experience, training, education and number of family members. Among these variables, labour and training were found positively significant at 1 per cent level of significance with the regression coefficient of 0.209 and 0.556, respectively. This indicates that seaweed culture might be brought economic benefits of the community if they received more training and employ more labour. Therefore, policy should be focused on creating appropriate training arrangement and skilled labour to the coastal community for getting higher benefit. Seaweed farmers think that seaweed culture can be adopted as an alternative livelihood option if the government and other stakeholders help them with necessary supports for seaweed culture.

Keywords: Seaweed culture, Livelihood, Profitability, Bangladesh

Location: Saint Martin Island which is a union of Teknaf Upazila of Cox’s Bazar district.

Start Date: 00-00-2018

End Date: 00-00-2018

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Commodity: Seaweed

Objectives:

To identify the socioeconomic factors that influence the profitability of seaweed farming in the Saint Martin Island of Bangladesh.

Methodology:

Study area and Sampling: The study was conducted in Saint Martin Island which is a union of Teknaf Upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. It is a small island of 36 sq. km. in the north eastern part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, and forming the southernmost part of Bangladesh. The inhabitants primarily live from fishing including seaweed culture. The other staple crops are rice and coconut. Being very common on the island, algae are collected, dried, and exported to Myanmar (Wikipedia, 2020). There are approximately 3700 people lives in Saint Martin Island (Wikipedia, 2020). Out of them, a few are engaged in seaweed culture. The total population (who cultured seaweed) was not found from anywhere. Therefore, the snowball sampling technique was used for collecting primary data. Data were collected from March 15 to March 31, 2018 in order to assess the costs and returns associated with seaweed farming. A total of 33 farmers were selected for face-to-face interviews as well as for focus group discussions using an open-ended semi- structured questionnaire. Analytical techniques: Collected data were analyzed in accordance with the objectives of the study. Mainly two techniques of analysis were used in this study, tabular and functional techniques. Before assessing the influence of socioeconomic factors on the profitability of seaweed farming, it is needed to calculate profitability. In Saint Martin Island, farmers practice seaweed in net culture method. In this method, a bamboo-made square frame of 1m x 1m size fabricated with rope (obtained from coconut husk) was normally chosen as support since it had loose braids to hold the seaweed seedlings. Rope with 16 mm diameter was used and the mesh size of the rope-made nets on the culture frame was maintained as 20 cm. Four medium size empty plastic bottles were tied with rope in each corners of the frame. To sink the entire frame partially under seawater, four stones were also tied to each corners of the frame. 1-2 inch long hypnea spp. of seaweed seedlings were then tied with soft ropes (Nylon) in the net. The farmers were found to cultivate seaweed in the government demesne land and therefore, no land rent was calculated for this study. Meanwhile, the seedlings required for seaweed farming were naturally abundant in Saint Martin Island. Therefore, no fixed cost was involved in per square-meter seaweed cultivation. Variable costs including float cost, bamboo cost, rope cost, stone cost, hired labor cost, family labor cost, repairing cost were considered for one square-meter seaweed cultivation in net culture method for one season (October-April). Simple tabular technique was used to calculate the costs and revenues.

Source of Information: Progressive Agriculture 31 (3): 227-234, 2020

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: https://doi.org/10.3329/pa.v31i3.52127

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

It may be concluded that seaweed farming is highly profitable. If proper training program and production technology can be made available to the farmers in time, yield and production of seaweed may be increased which can help the farmers to increase income and improve livelihood conditions. Seaweed farming can help in improving the nutritional status of the coastal people. Therefore, the coastal farmers can profitably produce seaweed along with their main occupational activities. Further, proper training on seaweed farming and adoption of new production technology may help to increase income and employment opportunities of the coastal farmers. The domestic and foreign consumption of seaweed will certainly increase in future. The present and future potential market and demand for seaweed should be determined through a comprehensive study in order to take up a well-planned production programme at national level.

Knowledge Management: Journal