Seaweed culture and processing in Vietnam is becoming an important industry. In the present, Vietnam is among the top seaweed producers in the world. The key seaweed farmed species are Gracilaria spp (11 species), Sargassum spp., Kappapsycus alvaresii.
Produced seaweed of Gracilaria is used for agar-agar processing or for foodstuffs. Its culture has been proposed to address poverty alleviation and as an income generating especially as an alternative to mangrove destruction.
The culture of seaweed is mainly practiced by extensive method whereas a yield of about 100-200 kg/ha-yr of dried seaweed is produced. This is compared to about 2-4 tons/ha-yr of dry seaweed in semi-intensive ponds. In some polyculture systems, seaweeds may be cultured with shrimps and crabs.
