Mon Jun 02 17:05:37 UTC 2025: ## Ramanathapuram Women Seaweed Farmers Receive Boost from Government Initiative
**Ramanathapuram, June 2, 2025 (The Hindu)** – Sixty women seaweed farmers in Ramanathapuram district received a significant boost today with the distribution of 60 tonnes of *Kappaphycus alvarezii* seeds. The distribution took place during a project closure ceremony at the Marine Algal Research Station in Mandapam.
The initiative, funded by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying under the PMMSY scheme, aims to revive the production of red seaweed and support women cultivators who depend on seaweed farming for their livelihood. Ramanathapuram Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon and Kannan Srinivasan, Director of CSIR-CSMCRI, Bhavnagar, oversaw the seed distribution.
The seed bank for *Kappaphycus alvarezii* was established in 2021 by CSIR-CSMCRI-Marine Algal research station near the Umayalpuram coast, Mandapam. Since its inception, the project has produced 278 tonnes of fresh, high-quality seed and distributed it among 211 beneficiaries.
The one tonne of seed material each recipient received was identified by the Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu. New beneficiaries hail from coastal areas in Mandapam, Rameswaram Island, North Ramanathapuram, and the Pudukottai district. This initiative represents a substantial step toward revitalizing seaweed farming and empowering women in the region.
First Piper 