Seaweed farming is suddenly one of the hottest topics in Indian fisheries exams. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) has put ₹640 crore behind it, Tamil Nadu is building India’s first Multipurpose Seaweed Park, and ICAR-CMFRI has named its Mandapam centre the Centre of Excellence for seaweed cultivation. Questions on seaweed species, products, methods and schemes now appear regularly in ICAR NET/ARS, ASRB, state fisheries officer exams and CIFE entrance tests.
This set gives you 20 exam-style multiple-choice questions on seaweed farming in India, with the correct answer and a one-line explanation for every question. Every fact below is verified against official sources as of 14 November 2026 — the Press Information Bureau, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha answers, and peer-reviewed research. Attempt all 20 before peeking at the key, then use the revision notes at the end to lock in the facts.
Seaweed farming in India at a glance
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Seaweed species in Indian waters | About 844, of which ~60 are commercially valuable (PIB) |
| PMMSY seaweed production target | 1.12 million tonnes — set for 2021–25; government now aims to reach it by 2030 (Rajya Sabha, 5 Feb 2026) |
| PMMSY budget for seaweed cultivation | ₹640 crore for 2020–2025 (PIB, 3 Apr 2025) |
| Seaweed rafts / monoline tubenets approved | 46,095 rafts and 65,330 tubenets (PIB, 3 Apr 2025) |
| Multipurpose Seaweed Park, Tamil Nadu | ₹127.71 crore total (central share ₹75.16 crore), approved FY 2022–23; foundation stone laid 1 Sep 2023 at Valamavur, Thondi, Ramanathapuram |
| Centre of Excellence for seaweed cultivation | ICAR-CMFRI Mandapam centre, Tamil Nadu |
| India’s seaweed farming potential | 9.7 million tonnes a year from 342 suitable sites (ICAR-CMFRI estimate) |
| Current production | Around 34,000 tonnes a year (ICAR-CMFRI estimate) |
| Global seaweed production (2020) | 35.1 million tonnes fresh weight; ~97% from aquaculture (FAO) |
| World’s largest producer | China — about 60% of global farmed seaweed (FAO GLOBEFISH) |
How to use this question set
- Attempt first, check later. Cover the answers, pick one option per question, and note your score out of 20.
- Read every explanation — even for questions you got right. The explanation carries the exam fact, not just the answer.
- Revise the table above until you can recall the PMMSY target (1.12 Mt), the seaweed budget (₹640 crore) and the park cost (₹127.71 crore) without looking.
- Retest after a day. If you score below 15/20, re-read the revision notes at the end and try again.
20 seaweed farming MCQs with answers
Q1. Kappaphycus alvarezii is commercially farmed in India mainly as a source of:
(a) Agar (b) Kappa-carrageenan (c) Alginate (d) Fucoidan
Answer: (b) Kappa-carrageenan. Kappaphycus alvarezii (elkhorn sea moss) is the main carrageenan-yielding seaweed farmed in Tamil Nadu; CSIR-CSMCRI even developed tissue culture to mass-produce it (PIB, 3 Apr 2025).
Q2. Agar, used in desserts, jams and laboratory culture media, is extracted mainly from:
(a) Brown seaweeds (b) Green seaweeds (c) Red seaweeds (d) Blue-green algae
Answer: (c) Red seaweeds. Agar comes from red seaweeds such as Gracilaria and Gelidiella and has been cultivated since the 1960s (PIB).
Q3. Alginate, used as a thickener in foods, cosmetics and medical products, is extracted from:
(a) Red seaweeds (b) Brown seaweeds (c) Green seaweeds (d) Diatoms
Answer: (b) Brown seaweeds. Alginate is extracted from brown seaweeds such as Sargassum and Turbinaria, mostly harvested from the wild (PIB).
Q4. Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the target set for seaweed production is:
(a) 0.5 million tonnes (b) 1.12 million tonnes (c) 2 million tonnes (d) 5 million tonnes
Answer: (b) 1.12 million tonnes. PMMSY targeted 1.12 million tonnes of fresh seaweed biomass; the government told the Rajya Sabha on 5 February 2026 that it now aims to reach this target by 2030.
Q5. The total budget allocated for seaweed cultivation in India under PMMSY for 2020–2025 is:
(a) ₹194.09 crore (b) ₹640 crore (c) ₹127.71 crore (d) ₹20,050 crore
Answer: (b) ₹640 crore. PIB (3 Apr 2025) puts the seaweed allocation at ₹640 crore; ₹194.09 crore of it is for the Tamil Nadu Seaweed Park and the Daman & Diu Brood Bank, while ₹20,050 crore is the whole PMMSY outlay.
Q6. India’s first Multipurpose Seaweed Park is being set up at a total cost of ₹127.71 crore in which state?
(a) Tamil Nadu (b) Gujarat (c) Andhra Pradesh (d) Kerala
Answer: (a) Tamil Nadu. The park at Valamavur, Thondi in Ramanathapuram district was approved at ₹127.71 crore (central share ₹75.16 crore) under PMMSY in FY 2022–23, and covers 136 coastal fishing villages in six districts (Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. No. 1038, 13 Dec 2022).
Q7. Which institute’s centre has been identified as the Centre of Excellence for seaweed cultivation under PMMSY?
(a) ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai (b) ICAR-CMFRI Mandapam centre (c) ICAR-CIBA, Chennai (d) CSIR-CSMCRI, Bhavnagar
Answer: (b) ICAR-CMFRI Mandapam centre. The Rajya Sabha was informed on 5 February 2026 that CMFRI’s Mandapam centre is the Centre of Excellence for seaweed cultivation under PMMSY.
Q8. Out of the seaweed species found in Indian waters, about how many are commercially valuable?
(a) About 60 out of ~844 (b) About 40 out of ~600 (c) About 100 out of ~1,200 (d) About 25 out of ~342
Answer: (a) About 60 out of ~844. India has around 844 seaweed species, of which about 60 are commercially valuable (PIB, 3 Apr 2025). Note: 342 is the number of suitable farming sites, not species.
Q9. Which of the following is NOT a method used for seaweed farming in India?
(a) Floating bamboo raft (b) Monoline tubenet (c) Cage culture (d) Tube net
Answer: (c) Cage culture. Rafts, monoline tubenets, tube nets and net bags are standard seaweed methods — 46,095 rafts and 65,330 tubenets have been approved under PMMSY. Cage culture is a finfish farming method, not a seaweed method.
Q10. IMTA, the integrated farming approach field-tested by ICAR-CMFRI in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, stands for:
(a) Integrated Marine Technology Application (b) Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (c) Indian Marine Trade Association (d) Integrated Mangrove Tissue Aquaculture
Answer: (b) Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture. In IMTA, seaweed is grown alongside fed species such as fish, so the seaweed absorbs excess nutrients — CMFRI has field-tested it in three states.
Q11. Commercial seaweed farming in India began in:
(a) 1960s (b) 1984 (c) 2001 (d) 2020
Answer: (b) 1984. A peer-reviewed study (MDPI, 29 Oct 2026) records that commercial seaweed farming in India began in 1984. Kappaphycus cultivation emerged later, in 2001; agar has been cultivated since the 1960s, which is a different fact.
Q12. Cultivation of Kappaphycus alvarezii in India emerged in:
(a) 1984 (b) 1995 (c) 2001 (d) 2013
Answer: (c) 2001. Kappaphycus cultivation emerged in 2001, production peaked in 2013 and then declined after mass mortality events; current dry production is estimated at just 200–300 tonnes a year (MDPI, 29 Oct 2026).
Q13. Global seaweed production in 2020 was approximately:
(a) 12 million tonnes (b) 35.1 million tonnes (c) 60 million tonnes (d) 5.6 million tonnes
Answer: (b) 35.1 million tonnes. About 35.1 million tonnes of fresh seaweed was produced globally in 2020, with ~97% coming from aquaculture (FAO, via MDPI 2026). US$ 5.6 billion is the industry’s value, not its volume.
Q14. Which country accounts for about 60% of the world’s farmed seaweed production?
(a) Indonesia (b) China (c) Japan (d) Philippines
Answer: (b) China. FAO GLOBEFISH data put China at ~60% of global production, followed by Indonesia (~25%), South Korea (~5%) and the Philippines (~4%).
Q15. Sargassum, an important source of alginate, belongs to which group of algae?
(a) Red algae (Rhodophyta) (b) Green algae (Chlorophyta) (c) Brown algae (Phaeophyceae) (d) Blue-green algae (Cyanophyta)
Answer: (c) Brown algae (Phaeophyceae). Sargassum is a brown alga; brown seaweeds are the source of alginate, while red seaweeds give agar and carrageenan.
Q16. The Seaweed Brood Bank, funded with part of the ₹194.09 crore allocation, is being developed at:
(a) Mandapam, Tamil Nadu (b) Daman and Diu (c) Kochi, Kerala (d) Palk Bay
Answer: (b) Daman and Diu. The ₹194.09 crore covers the Multipurpose Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu and the Seaweed Brood Bank in Daman and Diu (PIB, 3 Apr 2025).
Q17. Under PMMSY, women seaweed farmers are eligible for a subsidy of:
(a) 40% (b) 50% (c) 60% (d) 90%
Answer: (c) 60%. Under PMMSY, women are eligible for a 60% investment subsidy for seaweed farming, against 40% for men — which is why women’s self-help groups dominate the sector in Tamil Nadu.
Q18. How many seaweed rafts had been approved under PMMSY as of April 2025?
(a) 65,330 (b) 46,095 (c) 1,12,000 (d) 34,000
Answer: (b) 46,095. PIB (3 Apr 2025) reports 46,095 rafts and 65,330 monoline tubenets approved. Do not mix up the two numbers — the tubenet figure is the larger one.
Q19. According to ICAR-CMFRI, India’s seaweed farming potential is:
(a) 1.12 million tonnes a year (b) 9.7 million tonnes a year from 342 sites (c) 34,000 tonnes a year (d) 844 tonnes a year
Answer: (b) 9.7 million tonnes a year from 342 sites. CMFRI estimates 342 suitable sites with a combined potential of 9.7 million tonnes a year, against current production of around 34,000 tonnes.
Q20. Seaweed used as a biostimulant in agriculture is regulated in India under:
(a) Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985 (b) Seeds Act, 1966 (c) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (d) Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019
Answer: (a) Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985. Seaweed is one of the eight types of biostimulants, and the government regulates the quality of seaweed used as biostimulants under the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985 (PIB).
Answer key — score yourself
| Q | Answer | Q | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (b) Kappa-carrageenan | 11 | (b) 1984 |
| 2 | (c) Red seaweeds | 12 | (c) 2001 |
| 3 | (b) Brown seaweeds | 13 | (b) 35.1 Mt |
| 4 | (b) 1.12 Mt | 14 | (b) China |
| 5 | (b) ₹640 crore | 15 | (c) Brown algae |
| 6 | (a) Tamil Nadu | 16 | (b) Daman and Diu |
| 7 | (b) CMFRI Mandapam | 17 | (c) 60% |
| 8 | (a) ~60 of ~844 | 18 | (b) 46,095 rafts |
| 9 | (c) Cage culture | 19 | (b) 9.7 Mt, 342 sites |
| 10 | (b) Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture | 20 | (a) Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985 |
How did you score? 18–20: exam-ready on this topic. 15–17: solid — revise the money figures (₹640 crore, ₹127.71 crore, ₹194.09 crore). Below 15: re-read the revision notes below and retake the set tomorrow.
Revision notes: the facts examiners repeat
The three products — never mix them up. Agar comes from red seaweeds (Gracilaria, Gelidiella) and is used in food and lab culture media. Carrageenan also comes from red seaweeds — chiefly Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma — and goes into dairy products, ice cream and toothpaste. Alginate comes from brown seaweeds (Sargassum, Turbinaria) and is used as a thickener in food, cosmetics and medical products. PIB values the three markets at roughly US$ 132 million (agar), US$ 240 million (carrageenan) and US$ 213 million (alginate).
The money trail. PMMSY itself is a ₹20,050 crore scheme launched in June 2020. Within it, ₹640 crore was allocated for seaweed cultivation in 2020–2025, targeting 1.12 million tonnes. Of that, ₹194.09 crore is earmarked for the Tamil Nadu Multipurpose Seaweed Park and the Daman & Diu Brood Bank. The park alone costs ₹127.71 crore, with a central share of ₹75.16 crore. Priority states for the production target are Tamil Nadu (0.3 Mt), Gujarat (0.2 Mt) and Andhra Pradesh (0.15 Mt). Farming Kappaphycus can earn up to ₹13.28 lakh per hectare per year, according to PIB — the income argument examiners love.
The timeline. Commercial seaweed farming in India began in 1984; Kappaphycus cultivation emerged in 2001, peaked in 2013, then fell after mass mortality — which is why the 2026 research calls quality nurseries the “missing foundation” of the sector, estimating India needs about 66 nurseries to meet 60% of the PMMSY target. The Seaweed Park’s foundation stone was laid on 1 September 2023 at Valamavur, Thondi, and CSIR’s Seaweed Mission has brought more than 800 self-help groups in Tamil Nadu into Kappaphycus cultivation. Pilot farming has also reached the Andaman coast — Gracilaria edulis and Kappaphycus at Hathi Tapu, Mayabunder and Diglipur.
Why it matters beyond exams. Seaweed needs no land, freshwater, fertiliser or pesticide, absorbs CO₂, and gives coastal women a second income — which is exactly why PMMSY subsidises women at 60%. Read how it is already changing lives in our report on Palk Bay women earning 50% more from seaweed farming. For more practice, try our Biofloc MCQs, Coral Reef MCQs and Water Quality MCQs.
Frequently asked questions
Is seaweed farming covered under PMMSY?
Yes. Seaweed cultivation is a thrust area under PMMSY, with ₹640 crore allocated for 2020–2025, a 1.12 million tonne production target, and subsidies of 60% for women and 40% for men. Apply through your state fisheries department or the NFDB.
Which seaweed species should I remember for exams?
Kappaphycus alvarezii (carrageenan), Gracilaria edulis and Gelidiella acerosa (agar), Sargassum and Turbinaria (alginate), and Ulva or sea lettuce (green alga, food). Also remember Gracilaria debilis and Gracilaria salicornia from the Andaman pilot trials.
Where is India’s first Multipurpose Seaweed Park?
At Valamavur, Thondi in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu — approved at ₹127.71 crore under PMMSY, with the foundation stone laid on 1 September 2023. It covers 136 coastal fishing villages across six districts: Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi.
How big is the gap between India’s seaweed potential and production?
Very large. ICAR-CMFRI estimates a potential of 9.7 million tonnes a year from 342 sites, while current production is only around 34,000 tonnes — and dry Kappaphycus output is down to 200–300 tonnes a year after the post-2013 decline. Closing that gap is the point of the nurseries, the Seaweed Park and the Brood Bank.
Sources (verified 14 November 2026)
- Press Information Bureau, “Seaweed: A Nutritional Powerhouse From The Ocean”, 3 Apr 2025 — pib.gov.in (PRID 2118317)
- Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1038, “Seaweed Cultivation”, answered 13 Dec 2022 — sansad.in (PDF)
- Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 686, “India’s Blue Economy”, answered 5 Feb 2026 — pib.gov.in
- MDPI, “Core Strategies and Implementation Framework for Nursery Development to Support Commercial Farming of Kappaphycus alvarezii in India”, 29 Oct 2026 — mdpi.com
- FAO GLOBEFISH, “Seaweed trade and market potential”, Feb 2025 — seafood.media
Last updated: 14 November 2026. Figures are as reported by the sources above; the PMMSY 1.12 million tonne target was originally set for 2021–2025 and the government now aims to reach it by 2030.