The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has set a target of harvesting 500,000 tons of seaweed by 2030 as part of the national seafood development strategy.

To boost growth in the seaweed industry, MARD has proposed that the Prime Minister list seaweed as a primary product in the seafood field because of its high nutritional value.

The total seaweed farming area in 2023 stood at 16,500 ha, with total output of 150,000 tons, according to General Director of the Directorate of Fisheries Tran Dinh Luan.

Profits posted from seaweed farming are estimated at VND150-200 million ($6,200-8,300) per ha.

The potential area for seaweed cultivation in Vietnam is 900,000 ha, according to MARD.

The industry will focus on seaweed farming along the coast of provinces from north-central Thanh Hoa to south-central Binh Thuan, including grape seaweed and cartilage seaweed.