Lingering rain has caused a great loss in the cultivation of seaweed in Pingtan county, Pingtan Times reported on May 16.

Shi Meining, a seaweed farmer in Huadong village of Pingtan county, shows a piece of rotten seaweed, May 15. [Photo/pingtan.gov.cn]

About 2,000 mu (133 hectares) of seaweed in Huadong village of Aodong town were left rotting due to inadequate sunlight, leading to an estimated economic loss of more than 200 million yuan ($32 million), according to Shi Meining, a seaweed farmer, who referred to the misfortune as a “calamity at sea”.

Usually seaweed has to be exposed to the sun for at least three days to be completely dried. But continuing precipitation lasting for more than 15 days has affected the process, said farmer Lin Ren.

Lin revealed that he had grown nearly 8,000 pieces of seaweed, but had harvested less than 10 percent so far. And if the seaweed can’t be reaped by Duanwu festival, which falls on June 2 this year, they will all be rotten and of no value at all.

Lin Feng, another seaweed grower, said he could not even recover his cost after harvesting none from an area of more than 30 mu.

Apart from the damp weather, a shrinking market also plays a role in the decline of seaweed sales.

The lion’s share of seaweed is sold to farmers of abalone and sea cucumbers as fodder. But the number of abalone and sea cucumbers has dropped drastically due to red tides over the past two years, which affected the distribution channels for seaweed, Shi said.

Shi and other seaweed farmers have suggested the local government build a seaweed-processing factory in case of too many rainy days like this year. The factory can provide jobs for women and elderly villagers as well, Shi said.