Prospects and Constraints of Seaweeds Farming along the West and South Coasts of Zanzibar

Abstract

Seaweed farming is among the strategies adopted by the coastal communities in Zanzibar in an attempt to alleviate poverty. The study involved seaweed farmers from the south coast of Unguja. Six shehia[1] were purposeful selected and they included Paje, Bwejuu, Jambiani in the  south and Bweleo, Dimani and Fumba for the west. Eighty seaweed farmers were randomly selected for interview. In addition five businessmen and some government officials who are supposedly to be working with seaweed farmers were interviewed. Various PRA tools including structured questionnaire, check list, focus group discussion and direct observation were used to collect the data.   It was found out that majority of respondents were aged between 32-55 and 67% were married. 78% have been working as seaweed farmers for the past 6 years and mostly they produce spinosum type of seaweed. Selling of seaweeds is done individually and normally they sell semi-processed seaweeds. 90.2% of the respondents showed dissatisfaction with the current offered price of Tsh. 250/kg although 74.4% reported positive improvement in their livelihood resulting from engaging in seaweed farming. There was a general concern that the government have rendered little support to seaweed farmer especially in pricing and provision of inputs and to a large extent the price is controlled by few private buyers.  Despite these challenges many women have opted to continue with the enterprise owing to absence of alternative income generating activities.[1] Shehia is the smallest administrative unit in the government structure in Zanzibar, led by a local leader appointed by the president. This local leader is called sheha.