The Government of Dominica in collaboration with FAO are gathering seamoss farmers, private and public sector representatives to learn from their experiences in seamoss production

February 8, 2022 – Bridgetown, Barbados – Seamoss production continues to have a stronghold in the Caribbean and has become a growing sensation across the world. With plans in motion to tap into regional and global markets, seamoss farmers in Calibishie, Grand Bay and Woodford Hill Seamoss Groups are now using a faster growing and more lucrative specie of seamoss, known as Eucheuma cottonii, to be able to expand their production and increase their incomes.

On Thursday, February 9, 2023, some 30 seamoss farmers from these groups will be joined by government representatives and the private sector at the Atlantique View Resort & Spa for a Farmers’ Exchange Meeting. The meeting will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to learn from each other some of the challenges and opportunities experienced by seamoss farmers in Dominica.

The Farmers’ Exchange Meeting is one of the initiatives under a project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Government of Dominica. It focuses on the Sustainable Development of Resilient Value Chains and the Implementation of the CARICOM COVID-19 Agri-Food Recovery Plan currently underway in the country.

This exchange of experiences and information will enable farmers to share their unique voice on seamoss cultivation since the introduction of the Eucheuma seamoss specie and serve as a channel for assessing their readiness to expand production. The information gathered from this important session will also guide future efforts in positioning seamoss farmers to attract new and potential buyers of the seamoss product.

Ms Bree Romuld, FAO Caribbean Value Chain Development Specialist, noted that the Caribbean approach to value chain development was highly participatory and required the specific input and commitment of all stakeholders involved in the value chain. She added that having the farmers gather with representatives of the public and private sector to work together was integral in this process of building a sustainable, resilient, and efficient seamoss value chain and a step in the right direction.

Dr Al-Mario Casimir focal point representing the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, remarked that the expansion of the seamoss industry will enable local grassroots informal clusters to be propelled into the commercial space while reducing the imports of seamoss from neighbouring Caribbean territories.

Work under the project will continue over the next few months and will include specialized training in commercial seamoss production and the development of business models to help seamoss farmers be well equipped to tap into markets and experience better profits from their investment in the sector.