NTT provisional seaweed output put at 1.25 million tonnes in 2025

Labuan Bajo — Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) recorded provisional seaweed production of 1,248,126 tonnes in 2025, according to the province’s Marine and Fisheries Agency, which cited data from the national One Data portal of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

The agency’s acting head, Stefania Tunga Boro, said production fluctuated between 2019 and 2025, with the highest output in 2020 at 2,158,886 tonnes and annual production in 2021–2024 ranging from about 1.39 million to 1.56 million tonnes.

The figures point to a large but variable industry, with NTT maintaining seaweed production above one million tonnes a year while remaining below its 2020 peak in the most recent provisional data.

Production centres and Flores districts

The provincial government identifies a broad network of seaweed-producing districts. According to statements by the Marine and Fisheries Agency, major centres include Kupang, Rote Ndao, Sabu Raijua, East Sumba, Alor, Southwest Sumba, Lembata, West Sumba, East Flores, Ngada and Nagekeo.

This list puts several Flores-area districts on the province’s seaweed map, notably East Flores, Lembata, Ngada and Nagekeo. However, the available provincial data do not break down the provisional 2025 total by district, and a detailed ranking of district-level contributions has not been published.

NTT has organised seaweed development around five regional clusters to coordinate seed supply, cultivation and processing. Earlier provincial planning documents and agency statements describe clusters built around Sumba, Timor–Rote, Sabu, Lembata–Alor–East Flores and western Flores, with each cluster expected to host nurseries and link farming areas to processing and markets.

Production scale at a glance

• Provisional seaweed production in NTT in 2025: 1,248,126 tonnes
• Peak production in 2020: 2,158,886 tonnes
• Production range in 2021–2024: approximately 1.39–1.56 million tonnes a year
• Flores-area districts listed as producers: East Flores, Lembata, Ngada and Nagekeo

Exports and downstream ambitions

Seaweed is also an export commodity for NTT, although official statistics often record export volumes under broader marine and fisheries categories dominated by dried seaweed rather than seaweed alone.

Data from the Kupang centre for quality control and supervision of marine and fishery products indicate that exports of marine and fisheries commodities dominated by dried seaweed fluctuated over recent years, with shipments in the low thousands of tonnes and notable variability from year to year.

Provincial officials have said that most seaweed produced in NTT is sold in dried form to domestic processing industries before being exported, and that export destinations include other Indonesian provinces as well as overseas markets such as Timor-Leste.

The provincial government is promoting downstream processing to retain more value locally, arguing that integrated clusters linking cultivation with processing could support employment and coastal incomes. Officials have highlighted plans for seaweed-based industries in several clusters, but the available data do not yet quantify changes in household income or jobs linked specifically to seaweed processing.

NTT’s national role

NTT is consistently cited as one of Indonesia’s leading seaweed-producing provinces. According to recent statements by the Marine and Fisheries Agency and national market profiles compiled by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, NTT’s annual seaweed output has been in the range of roughly 1.4–2.1 million tonnes in recent years and accounts for a significant share of national production.

National profiles for 2022 show NTT among the top seaweed producers alongside South Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, East Java and other coastal provinces, underscoring the province’s importance in the country’s seaweed supply chain.

Within this context, the 2025 provisional figure of about 1.25 million tonnes suggests that NTT remains a major producer even as output fluctuates. Provincial officials are using the five-cluster development model to tie cultivation more closely to processing and marketing, with the stated aim of increasing value added, stabilising farmer livelihoods and improving supply-chain efficiency.

Sources

• Koran Jakarta – Jadi Komoditas Strategis, Produksi Rumput Laut NTT Tunjukkan Tren Positif
• Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) – Provinsi NTT Perkuat Standar Budi Daya Rumput Laut Berkelanjutan
• Poros Bumi – Produksi Rumput Laut NTT Capai 630 Ribu Ton
• Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries – Profil Pasar Rumput Laut (PDF)