NTT Seaweed Output Tops 1 Million Tons as Processing Lag Persists

Kupang — East Nusa Tenggara’s seaweed production has fluctuated around the one‑million‑ton mark in recent years, but only a small fraction is exported and most still leaves the province as raw or minimally processed material, according to local and national data. Recent provincial planning documents and ministry studies underline a growing policy push to build processing capacity closer to farming communities.

Acting head of the NTT Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency, Stefania Tunga Boro, said in Kupang on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, that provisional seaweed output in 2025 reached 1,248,126 tons, based on the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries’ One Data portal. She noted that NTT’s production has moved up and down since 2019, with the highest recorded volume at 2,158,886 tons in 2020 and annual output between roughly 1.39 million and 1.56 million tons from 2021 to 2024.

Those figures are broadly consistent with provincial and national planning documents that describe seaweed as the dominant aquaculture commodity in NTT and list production above one million tons in multiple years. One provincial work plan records NTT seaweed production at 2,158,903 tons in 2020 and 1,392,539 tons in 2021, while a national seaweed market profile ranks NTT as Indonesia’s second‑largest producer in 2022 with 1,403,336 tons, behind South Sulawesi.

Provincial documents and sector studies also identify NTT as a strategic seaweed region with extensive cultivation potential. A recent development plan estimates potential aquaculture areas for seaweed at 51,870 hectares, with possible output of about 1.8 million tons per year, and lists Kupang, Sabu Raijua, Rote Ndao, Alor, Lembata, East Flores, Sikka, East Sumba and West Manggarai among districts where seaweed farming has already expanded.

Production scale outpaces export performance

Despite high cultivation volumes, exports of seaweed from NTT remain limited. Local reporting in 2024 noted that NTT had carried out only sporadic overseas shipments since its first export of 25 tons of Alkali Treated Cottonii chips to Argentina in 2019, with a later shipment of 40 tons of seaweed powder to the Philippines in 2023. Officials at the time said no seaweed exports had been recorded from NTT in 2024, underscoring how the province’s role is still focused on supplying raw material.

Broader export data in provincial planning documents show that NTT’s overseas sales are dominated by commodities such as fruit, oilseeds and salt, with Timor‑Leste, Vietnam and China among the main destinations. Seaweed does not yet appear as a major export category in these summaries, even though it is described as a key aquaculture product for the province.

Sector studies covering the Lesser Sunda region also underline that most seaweed produced in NTT is marketed in dried form and sent to processing industries elsewhere in Indonesia. These reports describe NTT as the country’s second‑largest seaweed producer but highlight that limited local processing means coastal farmers capture only part of the final value added when seaweed is turned into carrageenan, agar and other industrial products.

Cluster strategy and downstream ambitions

The provincial government has adopted a cluster‑based development approach for seaweed to link seed supply, cultivation, processing and marketing. Planning documents divide NTT into several seaweed development zones, including Timor, Rote‑Sabu, eastern Flores, central Flores and Sumba, with the aim of strengthening supply chains and attracting investment in processing plants in or near producing districts.

Within this framework, districts such as Sabu Raijua and Rote Ndao are highlighted as important production centres due to their long coastlines and favourable climatic conditions for seaweed farming. However, publicly available government plans and sector analyses do not yet provide detailed, up‑to‑date figures on district‑level processing capacity, plant locations or confirmed new investments in value‑added facilities.

Provincial agencies nonetheless describe downstream development, or hilirisasi, as a priority to raise local value capture, create jobs and improve coastal incomes. Policy documents call for more investment in drying, storage, quality control and processing, and for integrating smallholder farms into structured supply chains that can meet industrial buyers’ specifications.

Data gaps and implications for coastal producers

While production statistics for NTT are relatively well documented through ministry and provincial portals, there are still gaps in publicly available data on how much seaweed is processed within the province, how much is shipped to other Indonesian regions for processing, and what portion of export earnings flows back to coastal producers.

Existing reports suggest that NTT’s farmers benefit from strong natural conditions and high output but face constraints in quality management, logistics and access to processing facilities. Without clearer information on processing capacity, export volumes by product type and price transmission to farm level, it remains difficult for policymakers and investors to measure how effectively the province’s large seaweed output is being converted into sustainable local income.

Sources

• Koran Jakarta – "Jadi Komoditas Strategis, Produksi Rumput Laut NTT Tunjukkan Tren Positif"
• Provincial Government of Nusa Tenggara Timur – RPJMD/RKPD planning documents 2024–2029
• Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) – "Profil Pasar Rumput Laut"
• Indonesia Climate Change Trust Fund – "Kondisi Terkini Industri Rumput Laut di Lesser Sunda"
• Katong NTT – "NTT Belum Ekspor Rumput Laut Tahun Ini"
• UKAW repository – academic paper citing KKP data on NTT seaweed production