Efficacy Of Traditional Methods of Harvesting and Drying Seaweed in Reducing Loss of Seaweed Quantity and Quality Experiences from South District Unguja-Zanzibar

Abstract

Efficiency in seaweed harvesting and drying methods is essential for preventing substantial loss and degradation of the quality of seaweed products. This study investigated if the current practices of harvesting and drying seaweed applied by seaweed farmers negatively affect the optimum yield and quality the seaweed products. Thus, the study examined the efficacy of the existing practices and technologies that are employed by farmers in harvesting and drying seaweed on their efficiency in preserving the yields and the quality of seaweed products. Specifically, the study assessed the influence of the farmers existing practices during harvest and drying processes on the (a) seaweed quantity (yield loss), and (b) quality change (degradation). The study applied quasi-experimental design insights, where the influence of farmer’s method (intervention 1) and the controlled method (intervention 2) in affecting the weight of seaweed harvested, weight of the dried seaweed, and change physical and chemical quality through contamination in impurities, sand, and microbial content (the outcomes of the interventions) were examined and compared. Drawing from the data obtained in three seaweed producing villages of Jambiani, Michamvi and Uzi in Southern Coast of Unguja Island, the study combined quantitative techniques and field-based observations to determine how farmers applied method (traditional method) compared in their performance against a procedure utilized by the researcher (controlled method) during harvesting and drying. Field observations allowed for direct measurements and record of physical quality variables, while the laboratory analysis enabled determining chemical change and microbial content against established standard. Survey method; further incorporate data on the conditions of loss and common practices applied by farmers in traditional farming of seaweed. Data analyses were based on the a priori determined calculations which considered all observed variables, and the descriptive statistics were applied to present the data as per the variables investigated.

The results indicated that, controlled method performed better than traditional method in all performance variables of harvesting and drying that were measured. On physical impurities traditional based samples recorded 0.3kg against 0.056kg for controlled method with loss of    and 0.073kg and 0.051kg for traditional and controlled methods respectively. More importantly, the efficiency of drying technique (EDT) for traditional method 16% of the total weight against 25% for controlled method with equivalent to reduction (loss) in 84% of the fresh weight for traditional method against 75% for controlled method. With this rate, the controlled method had potential of resulting in 951.25kg of total dry weight if applied on the farmers harvested and dried seaweed compared to only 622.5kg of the actual weight by the current traditional method – a difference of 328.75kg that could be added by controlled method. The estimated potential loss of the value market according to the current price of 1,200TSZ was 747,000 TZS (farmer’s method), compared to 1,1415,00 TZS for controlled method, which gives a difference of 394,500.00 TSZ. This means that, there as increase of 34.5% value of seaweed dried based on controlled method compared to the original farmers’ method. Overall, this study provided simple and easily method that could improve the quality of seaweed harvest against the common applied practices by farmers. It pointed to the deficiencies that contribute weight and quality loss, and hence the market value of seaweed based on farmers’ method. Hence, the study implies on the importance of the technical support to seaweed farmers to understand this deficiency in their practices and support to an enhanced by changing the current practices with simple technology for drying and following guidelines that can yield in high quality seaweed harvest and products.

Keywords: Seaweed, Traditional method, Harvesting, Drying.

DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/16-1-05

Publication date: January 30^th 2025