The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry recently announced the delivery of an $8 million grant program to support industry to scale up production of Asparagopsis, the red seaweed known for its significant methane-reducing qualities when fed to livestock. The grant program was delivered by the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance (ASSA) and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC).
Especially given the national and international drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the contribution of enteric emissions to Australia’s total emissions (71 per cent of Australia’s agricultural emissions and 13 per cent of Australia’s total emissions, according to the National Inventory Report), having Asparagopsis feed supplements widely available and at a reasonable price to Australia’s farmers would seem to be in the national interest.
Australian Rural & Regional News asked Professor Catriona Macleod, ASSA Chair, for an update on the state of industry in Australia.
Professor Catriona Macleod, ASSA Chair:
“ASSA deeply appreciates the R&D support received from DAFF and FRDC, whose investment has made it possible to complete 15 key projects within the past two years. The achievements accomplished by our team in such a brief period are a source of great pride.
“A key part of this was a series of projects aimed at supporting scalable seaweed cultivation across the industry. While the main emphasis was on Asparagopsis, the resulting hatchery manual serves as a useful template for general seaweed cultivation and offers a variety of transferable skills. In addition, research into environmental benefits—such as blue carbon potential and bioremediation—has broader uses. I encourage anyone interested in these topics to review the final reports available on the ASSA website.
“All of our projects have led to very positive outcomes, but ASSA is especially proud of the prototype online portal, Seaweed Central, developed through this funding. This platform offers an extremely valuable Permit Portal, providing straightforward access to licensing and regulatory information for both current seaweed farmers and new investors across Australia—a true one-stop shop. Additionally, the portal features sections on why seaweed matters, a knowledge bank that serves as a fantastic resource for farmers, and a Seaweed Learning section packed with excellent educational materials on seaweed and aquaculture for teachers.
“We recognise that, while we’ve been focused on business development, we haven’t always engaged the wider community as much as we could have. Our hope is that these resources will give back, allowing young people to better understand seaweed’s role in farming, in nature, and how growers are working together to promote resilience in natural systems. Perhaps we’ll even inspire the next generation of seaweed farmers!!
“Seaweed Central has gained global attention, and we’re excited about its potential to grow as a networking and knowledge-sharing platform both locally and internationally.
Video credit: ASSA, Honey & Fox
“Another really valuable outcome was the creation of a model to assess both the product potential and economic viability of Asparagopsis in a biorefinery setting. This framework is highly adaptable—it can be applied to nearly any feedstock material, offering new investors an effective roadmap for product development, production processes, and cost estimates at each step.
“The decision to focus the initial phase of research on Asparagopsis was especially significant, given its strong connections to terrestrial farming.
“We are eager to present additional findings in early 2026, which will demonstrate the benefits of biostimulants made from seaweed and ways that seaweed growers and land-based farmers can collaborate more closely to support food security and deliver greater sustainability.”
Video credit: ASSA, Honey & Fox
