CJ CheilJedang said on the 15th it will break ground in August on a commercial land-based seaweed farming facility in Cheonan, South Chungcheong. The goal is to build a land-based farming production base to meet growing global demand for K seaweed and overcome the limits of offshore aquaculture caused by climate change.
According to CJ CheilJedang, the facility set to break ground is scheduled for completion in the first half of next year. The seaweed produced there will be used for the "Bibigo seaweed" product and supplied to domestic and overseas markets.
The commercial land-based seaweed farming facility is the result of research and development (R&D) into land-based seaweed farming that has been underway since 2018. CJ CheilJedang was the first in Korea's food industry to begin developing the related technology and succeeded in tank cultivation at a 3-ton (t) scale in 2021. In 2022 it developed a variety dedicated to land-based farming, and this year it completed patent registration for that variety.
In particular, as the volatility of offshore aquaculture production grows due to climate change, including rising sea temperatures, and demand for K seaweed continues to increase in the global market, CJ CheilJedang plans to build a stable supply chain through land-based aquaculture technology and step up its push into the global seaweed market. Based on research results and production infrastructure operating capabilities developed at CJ Blossom Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, one of its main plans is to establish a mass production system going forward.
Adam Riccardone, chief technology officer (CTO) of R&D at CJ CheilJedang, said, "This facility will be a key test bed that applies land-based aquaculture technology accumulated over more than 10 years to industrial sites and a forward base that opens a sustainable future for K-food."
Meanwhile, not only CJ CheilJedang but also major food companies such as Daesang and Pulmuone are accelerating development of land-based seaweed farming technology. Daesang is pursuing commercialization through pilot farming in Goheung, and Pulmuone is seeking to preempt the market by developing seeds and establishing a research base in Saemangeum.