The potential of seaweed in increasing revenue of farmer in Bantaeng District

Abstract

Seaweed farmers have not benefited much from seaweed marketing activities, especially in dry form. Marketing of seaweed in Bantaeng Regency in general has not been maximized, the community has not been able to properly market their seaweed crops. The seaweed cultivating community is tied to traders, where when the community takes seaweed cultivation needs from traders, the farmers are obliged to submit their harvest to the traders, that’s where the trader’s profit plays on the price of seaweed, collectors take seaweed at market prices, so that the price received by farmers far from the general price. The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of income, costs and margins at each of the Cottonii and Gracilaria SP seaweed marketing institutions and to analyze the efficiency strategy for marketing seaweed in Bantaeng Regency. Data analysis was carried out by means of descriptive and quantitative analysis, after which the collected data was tabulated and analyzed. The results of this study are the need for zoning of coastal areas to expand the cultivation area so that seaweed production can increase. The use of technology such as digital marketing and collaboration with the government is expected to help farmers sell their crops.