Japan interested in Yapen Waropen`s seaweed

Jayapura (ANTARA News) - Japanese investors are interested in seaweed from Yapen Waropen district, Papua province, and expected to import the commodity to that country in the near future, a local official has said.

Head of Yapen Waropen district, Daud Soleman Betawi, said here Monday he and the district administration officials had discussed the Japanese wish to import the commodity and would soon send the produce to Japan.

"However, the district administration still needs more warehouses to store seaweed," the district head said.

He expressed hope that the export of seaweed to Japan would be materialized in the near future so that the result of the export could increase the local people`s welfare.

Besides Japan, investors from other countries including China and Korea were also interested in seaweed from Yapen Waropen, he said, adding that representatives of those countries had directly observed the seaweed cultivation center in the district.

He pointed out that the district administration has since last year enforced the seaweed cultivation program which has now been developing well.

According to the district head, the number of seaweed cultivation groups in the district has reached about 1,000.

The high spirit of local people to cultivate seaweed was among others due to the great attention of the central government that had provided funds to 70 groups in the district for the development of the program in 2006, Daud Soleman said.

He further said Yapen Waropen district administration had also provided the growers with seaweed seedlings and helped them market their products both at home and abroad.

"We hope that seaweed which has been demanded by foreign investors can be processed into good quality product so that its export would be realized soon," the district head said.