Farmers harvest Eucheuma seaweed by pruning mature plants with knives while leaving younger plants to regenerate. They use nets to collect the harvested seaweed in boats and transport it to drying areas above ground for air circulation. Proper drying procedures include spreading the seaweed thinly and turning it regularly until it is crispy and reaches 35% moisture content before packaging and recording weights for storage and sale.

1. EUCHEUMA SPP

2. • Prepare all the necessary harvesting materials such as
baskets, sacks, knife and goggles.
• Prepare the drying area.

3. • harvestable when they reach the weight between 750–
850 g
• After 6-8 weeks or 40-50 days
• Buyers encourage harvesting predominantly older
plants in order to obtain higher gel strength/ viscosity
• bigger propagules = higher yield
• Variation among farm areas with respect to propagule
size at planting and harvesting
• part of the maintenance procedure by pruning the
harvestable plants and allowing them to regenerate.
• may cause quality problems related to an unfavorable
mix of young and old tissue in the crop
• Stripping plants from lines

4. HARVESTING PROCEDURES
 Go row by row through the farm, harvest each plant by
pruning. Remove branches from each plant using a sharp
stainless knife. Leave about 200 g on each plant for
regeneration.
 In total harvesting, just cut the allowance portion of the tie
in-between the plant and the nylon line.
 Using scoop nets, scoop harvested plants.
 Collect all harvested plants in the banca
 Paddle the banca to the drying area when it is already full
 Unload, weigh and keep a record of all the harvests before
spreading them to dry.

5. • Near farm to avoid breakage
• Above ground for air circulation –rotting
• Dry to atleast 35% moisture

6. DRYING Contd…
 Spread the harvested seaweed thinly on drying
platform
 Use coconut palm as flooring when drying in land
 Never dry the seaweed directly on soil- contamination.
 Turn the seaweeds at regular intervals
 cover the harvest to protect from the rain
 crispy and have a rubbery touch.(well dried)
 Remove non-Eucheuma
 Package in sacks/lace up
 Record weight, store(clean, dry, well ventilated), sell
 NB: Storage time should be minimum